Berasienne's Queen
by dexven1125
Summary: My name is Amelia Hope Elizabeth, Queen of Berasienne.
1. Chapter 1

Amelia stepped out of the boudoir. The ladies-in-waiting assisted her as they put on her wedding dress. She inhaled sharply as the lacy fabric of her dress came in contact with her skin. Amelia's mother stood sat on a chair while waiting for her daughter to get dressed.

"Thou look lovely, my daughter…" Hope said as Amelia smiled self-consciously. She fiddled with the skirt of her wedding dress as her mother-in-law went inside.

"Exquisite… Fit for a queen…" Isabel said as the butler went inside the room.

"Thy majesty, its time…"

Isabel got up and placed a tiara upon her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. The tiara was adorned with 5 big diamonds that were surrounded by golden vines, smaller studs also adorned the tiara. The veil was 18 meters long.

Amelia was in deep thought as they went down to the church. The Berasienne Palace was close to the church, a strategic location. Today was a big day: after their wedding, the coronation would proceed as Queen Isabel and King Vikram will step down from the throne to give way for their son: Ian.

Amelia fiddled her bouquet as she waited the grand double doors opened. Her father stood beside her. Her stylist fixed her veil, making sure that it covered her face. Knots stated forming in her stomach as the grand doors opened.

Amelia and her father walked down the aisle. Her groom was there, standing in the altar. When they reached the altar, Arthur removed the veil covering his daughter's face. Amelia hugged her father, as he gave her hand to Ian.

"Take care of my daughter, Thy majesty…" he said as he sat down with his wife.

The royal couple faced the altar.

"Do you, Prince Ian Victor Lucas Kabra: Crown Prince of Berasienne, take, Amelia Hope Elizabeth Cahill, to be your lawfully wedded queen?"

"I do." He said seriously.

"Do you, Amelia Hope Elizabeth Cahill, take, Prince Ian Victor Lucas Kabra: Crown Prince of Berasienne , to be your lawfully wedded king?"

"I do…" There was a hitch in her breath.

Ian recited his vows.

"Thou fear that all my vow

To love no one but thee

May pass;

Or that the sunshine

I had pledged to keep for thee

May fade with falling rain

That ere the sight of thee is gone,

Thy kiss should freeze

Upon my lips

But most of all-"

Ian slipped the ring on Amelia's finger

"Thy might fear that should forever come at last,

Then every joy must cease- We two must part…

Take heart, dear one, and be assured-

The day after forever, Shall find my vows renewed." Amy smiled as she slipped the ring on Ian's finger.

The archbishop turned to them,

"By the power invested by me, I pronounce you, king and queen… You may kiss the bride"

Ian caressed her cheek before leaning and kissed her. Green met amber as they pulled apart. Queen Isabel and King Vikram stood up and faced the newly married couple. Amelia and Ian sat down on the throne.

The Archbishop slipped the ring on Ian's finger and Vikram passed the scepter and orb to his son. Amelia's heart was racing as the coronation was unfolding in front of her. The king placed the crown upon his son as the Queen placed it on her daughter-in-law. The crown felt heavy on Amelia's head. The newly crowned king and queen stood up and walked outside the church's balcony.

Amelia could hear cheering from the crowd as they emerge outside. She grasped her husband's arm and he didn't mind the gesture. She didn't seem to realize reality: everything seems like a dream. Amelia was a queen.

Amelia felt the stares of the people inside as she was leaded to the dance floor by her husband. She tried to ignore the stares she got from them. The young king placed his hands on her back as Amelia placed her hand on his shoulder. Their free hands finally met. As the orchestra played its music, green met amber once again as our gazes locked. Amelia felt relaxed as she muffled out the stares of the crowd. Her wedding gown was illuminated by the chandeliers in the ceiling. King Ian wore a suit that was dark as his hair. His amber eyes shone in the moonlight.

He turned elegantly, his body in tune with the slow music. Yet, there was a sort of harshness to him, like he was someone who shouldn't be underestimated. Amelia didn't quite care at the moment. Was it because she was falling in love with a boy she hardly knew? The warmth in her chest grew more powerful by every second. Amelia's heartbeat was growing steadily along with it. Her first dance as a queen was perfect; from every little detail of her dress or how she didn't mess it all up.

King Ian guided her across the dance floor as if they were in a dream. He kept his eyes on her, yet still, he knew exactly where to take her. Every moment, every angle seemed to be planned in advanced.

"Ian," I whispered, "everyone is looking at us."

He squeezed her hand slightly and smiled. "Really," he chuckled softly, "I haven't notice."

With that, She knew. He need not say more. Her heart, her whole being was now his and his alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Queen Amelia stood in front of her massive mirror. She smoothed her ruby red dress as her lady-in-waiting entered the room.

"My queen, your chaperones are waiting outside. You must proceed to the throne room, King Ian is waiting for you there…"

Amelia went down the grand staircase with 5 maids trailing behind her. She scanned the chandeliers dangling above her head, the ceiling of the throne room was intricately designed.

"You must be mesmerized, my love…"

Amelia jerked in fright as the king appeared behind her. He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just me. I'm sorry if I scared you…" He offered his arm.

"Shall we?" he offered as the queen took his arm.

* * *

Meeting the court of Berasienne was one of the fears of the newly crowned queen. Queen Amelia sat at her throne as her king held her hand as he sensed her nervousness. He stood up and faced the court.

"Noble Lords and Ladies, Let me introduce her formally to you: Queen Amelia Hope Elizabeth, Queen of Berasienne."

Applause was heard from the audience. Queen Amelia felt the burning stares of the crowd. The Berasienne Court was a social call. As a queen, she was expected to interact with the nobles and powerful persons.

"I don't know what King Ian saw in you. Or why he didn't marry into the higher ranking aristocrats…" A woman with blonde hair said.

The queen's spirits fell. She stiffened as the ladies were talking about her, right in front of her.

"Your right, Lady Pierce… What does she know of politics anyway? I bet she didn't know that." A lady with red hair said.

Lady pierce's piercing gray eyes met hers.

"What do you think of the merging of the kingdoms of Berasienne and Meistica? It will knock you off the royal ascension… Because of King James' Regency Ascension Act…"

* * *

Queen Amelia sat perfectly still in the king's study. Lady Pierce's words bothered her. Why would the Regency Ascension Act affect her anyway?

"Amelia, is there something wrong?"

King Ian was staring at her intently.

"What is the Regency Ascension Act anyway?"

"It's a law about the consorts of the kings before. If a consort became a queen and a new consort came with a higher ranking. The queen will be demoted to the lowest ranks of ascension."

"Does it mean that once you married Lady Pierce, I wouldn't be the queen anymore…" Amelia said as she placed her teacup down on the table. King Ian's amber eyes stared at her.

"Pray tell, my queen. Why did you marry a man thee barely knew?"

"Mama would always say 'To love, to honor, and to obey' "Amelia said quietly.

"Amelia Cahill, we may be married due to arrangements. But allow me, let us not rush things."

* * *

True to his words, they slowed down their relationship. They didn't need to rush it anyway. The king took the queen to horseback. He wanted to show her what lies ahead of their palace life. King Ian wanted to assure her that she will always be his queen.

His only queen…

The horse they were riding was a gift from the former king. It serves as a wedding gift for them. Amelia was not trained in riding horses like Ian does. The thought of riding horses for the first time in a long time scares her. She could remember a faint memory when she fell off the horse when she was young. The king was trying to teach her how to ride a horse. Sadly, riding horses was not the queen's thing. he couldn't understand her immense fear of riding horses.

As King Ian was behind his queen holding the lead rope, Amelia tried her best not to squirm as her insides were trembling in fear. They halted.

"Don't be afraid, my love. I will not let you fall. Trust me."

Amelia inhaled sharply as she was trying to be brave. The king wrapped his arms around her. He continued on. They reached to clearing in the woods. It was filled with grassy hills and a clear river.

"See the beauty of Berasienne, without the extravagant palaces or the urban communities. An underrated place..."

They sat under the tree while watching the clouds moving.

"Do you think she looks better than me?"

Ian faced her, one of his eyebrows rose.

"Or that she's much smarter who can rule the kingdom wisely…"

He sighed.

"Amelia…" he warned.

"I'm not fit into this society, King Ian. I cannot rule a kingdom alongside you, you deserve someone that won't burden you…"

"Amelia, I-Your enough, I don't need a thousand of women bowing down to me. I'm grateful for you, for the hope you bring in this lonely castle life."

She avoided his gaze and silence surrounded both of them.

"This place is n-nice you know… I'm sorry, your highness. I can never be your princess; I'm just a Nobody" she stared at her shoes.

He leaned in and kissed her. King Ian wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped his arms around his neck. They fell into the soft grass, kissing.

They broke apart, gasping for air.

"You were never a Nobody… You are my queen, my wife and my partner in crime. Don't forget that."


	3. Chapter 3

King Ian watched her from afar. Her auburn hair glistened in the sunlight as she was heading the trial of a child accused of stealing.

'She is truly an exception…' he thought.

Amelia was not raised to be a lady of the court. Her graceful movements brought a smile upon his face. Her jade green eyes were filled with compassion as he watched the trial. He saw something in her eyes? Pity perhaps.

It was the time to give her final verdict. King Ian saw the longingness in his wife's eyes.

"Your majesty, your final verdict…" the Grand Duke said.

"Let him go…" she said quietly.

The court was in uproar because of the queen's decision. Letting a thief go with punishment was not common in Berasienne court… The King was certain that the queen knew better.

"Your majesty, please reconsider"

"Your grace, you cannot simply do that!"

"Enough. I said ENOUGH…" Queen Amelia said with a raised voice. The court fell silent, King Ian certainly saw the bravery in her eyes for a moment but shifted back to her compassionate ones.

"He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with one who has need."

The court drew a sharp intake of breath as the Queen walked to the accused child. She kneeled down to the child's level.

"Tell me, my son. Why did you steal the bread?" she asked compassionately. The child's blue eyes met her jade ones. Just like a queen would do, a wise one to be exact.

"My family is poor, your majesty. We cannot afford a loaf of bread… My ma and pa work to pay the taxes" the child's eyes avoided hers.

The court was uproar once again. King Ian felt the urge to interfere in the court but he dismissed it. He had faith in his queen.

"If you refuse to listen the cry of the poor, someday your cry for help won't be heard."

Amelia was more of a queen who valued virtue. Ian knew that she may be new to the system of Berasienne court but he underestimated her. She came out of the court, exhaustion was written across her face.

"How's your day?"

King Ian mentally slapped himself. Asking someone who looked exhausted was a bad idea, a king wasn't supposed to be an idiot. Amelia brought out the best in him, her carefree presence was enough to lighten up the lonely castle's mood.

"Exhausted. Sitting still for 2 hours wasn't nice, my back hurts…"she complained. He scooped her up in his arms.

"Your Majesty! They might get ideas and rumors will circulate around the palace…"She shrieked.

King Ian paid her no mind as he carried her to their bedroom.

"Ideas of what?" he teased as she blushed.

"T-They m-might t-thin-k w-we're doing the a-act…" Amelia stuttered. King Ian mentally slapped himself.

'Strike 2 of your inanity, Ian' he thought.

"We're married anyway, Amelia. You're my wife and I'm the king, I can carry you whenever I like."

They entered their bedroom and he set her down on the bed as they sat down near the headboard.

"I saw you there earlier. Your mercy and compassion amazes me."

She was silent.

"Speak to me, my love. I'm listening…" he whispered as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"The court is very deceiving, Ian. I can't do it: it's too dangerous. I stood there alone, I was scared to death. I wish you were there…"

He swore that he saw tea roll down her cheek. He kissed her on her forehead and placed her hand on his chest, where his heart lies.

"I'm your fortress, I am your resting place: your safe here…" he whispered soothingly.

"I'm always here, Amelia. I will never be far away from you, I'm always reaching out to save you. Your weakness will be covered by my strength. You're forever safe."

She snuggled up closer to him.

"Thank you. For keeping me safe." She whispered.

He inhaled the scent of her hair and wrapped his arms around her.

"You make a good mother, Amelia. Berasienne is blessed to have you."

Amelia looked at him, full of fear and uncertainty. Ian hated seeing her like that.

"I-I'm n-not ready, Ian."

"I'm not forcing you, love…" he smiled genuinely.

"But the day will come, we need to be ready."


	4. Chapter 4

Amelia briskly walked through the halls of Berasienne. She was running late for breakfast and she hated being late. She ran and collided with a man she didn't notice. Amelia fell to the ground rather painfully.

"I'm terribly sorry, my queen…"

She stared at the stranger's blue eyes as he held out his hand which she gladly accepted. He bowed deeply in his embarrassment.

"It's quite alright, young man. I wasn't looking where I was going." Queen Amelia said.

"I shall escort you to the dining hall, Queen Amelia. Your majesty is waiting for you there…"

When they reached the dining hall, Ian was waiting for her. His face lit up as he saw her walking towards him. He stood up and kissed her on the cheek. Amelia wondered why her husband shook hands with someone she didn't knew. He turned to her.

"Amelia, meet Captain Hamilton Holt: Captain of the Royal Guard…" he smiled.

"Please to meet you, Captain Holt…" Amelia said.

"Besides being the captain of the royal guards, he is also your personal bodyguard." King Ian said calmly.

"Are you any chance, related to Madison Holt?" the queen inquired. She was taking her daily walks in the castle gardens.

"She is my younger sister, Queen Amelia. If I remembered correctly; she's one of your ladies-in-waiting." Hamilton answered.

* * *

The queen stopped walking and inhaled the scent of fresh air. Her face radiated in the sunlight and her jade green eyes were much vivid. The captain stared at his mistress: porcelain skin, auburn hair that fell down on her back in waves and those green eyes that were filled with life.

He was ashamed but he needed to act professional. Hamilton shouldn't have feelings like this for their queen. For Pete's sake: she was married. He was only her bodyguard.

"Care to join me in horseback riding?" she offered.

"Certainly, your majesty…" he answered as he accompanied the queen.

He was just her companion, indeed…

* * *

King Ian smugly sat in the throne room. He resented the long meetings since Amelia came around, the meetings were just plain rubbish.

"If I may speak freely, your grace…"

Ian nodded and gave his permission.

"The queen is nothing but a pretty face. She knows nothing about ruling a kingdom, she is nothing…"

Ian sat in his throne, his hands were balled into fists. No one talks about his queen like that.

"What's your proposition?" he asked.

* * *

King Ian's horse galloped as he went to the clearing where he and Amelia spent time together. He saw a familiar figure under the tree. Amelia was there reading a book and Hamilton stayed near her.

"I'll take it from here, Hamilton. Thank you for keeping my wife company…" he said as Hamilton left.

King Ian sat next to her.

"Amelia…"

"Hmm?" she asked never taking her eyes off her book.

"Lady Pierce will be coming tomorrow…" Ian said rather plainly.

Amelia dropped her book and stared at Ian in disbelief. There was a sense of betrayal in the queen's eyes.

"They wanted me to take her as a mistress…"

Those words from her king broke Amelia's heart. She was questioning herself a million times.

Yes, she was angry…

Very angry at herself…

She could never be angry towards her king.

Amelia wasn't blind, she knew that the nobles despised her due to her heritage. And planting a royal mistress meant she was to be eliminated.

King Ian hated when Amelia would start crying, for Pete's sake she was so fragile. He never really liked the outcome of the noble's decision.

Amelia stood up and ran back to the castle, Ian never had the courage to follow her. He knew that she was badly hurt by his news.

"Your highness?"

Amelia spun around and she saw Hamilton Holt in the doorway. Her eyes were already swollen from crying and she was soaking wet due to the unexpected rain.

"Pray tell, Queen Amelia. What happened to you?" Hamilton asked as he tapped the shivering queen's shoulder.

Madison came down from the grand staircase and ran towards the queen.

"Brother, can you help me escort the queen to her chambers. She might catch a cold in the state she is in." Madison said frantically to her brother.

Amelia stiffened as Hamilton wrapped an arm around her waist to support her. She still wasn't used to other man coming in contact with her.

Madison immediately started a fire in the fireplace as soon as they entered the queen's chambers. The queen was wrapped in a solitude of blankets to keep her warm. She was seated near the fireplace as Madison began drying her hair.

"My dear queen, please do not go out in this kind of weather. You might catch a cold and the people will be very worried, as you still haven't brought an heir to the Berasienne's throne." Madison sighed

The doors opened as King Ian went inside the queen's chambers. He turned to the Holt siblings.

"Leave us alone for a moment." And they obeyed their king.

King Ian placed a hand on Amelia's cheek as he bent down on her level. He stared into her jade green orbs.

"You are always my first, Amelia. You are my queen and I am your king, that's how it should be. I love you, my queen."

He took her into his arms, inhaling the scent of his queen's hair.

"If you loved me, why bother a mistress? What about the vow you promised to me?" Queen Amelia whispered to her king as he traced circles on her back.

"The legitimacy of their decision cannot be challenged by anyone. They are the nobles, my queen." King Ian explained to her.

"I wish to protect you, my queen. This may be our very last option, i hope you are aware of our responsibility."

Queen Amelia looked into the king's amber eyes and sighed.

"I'm ready, my king."

It was duty after all...


	5. Chapter 5

A carriage stopped in front of the steps of Berassienne. The footman opened it and a lady with blonde hair exited it. She was shown inside by the housekeeper of the palace.

"Lady Cara Pierce has arrived King Ian." The housekeeper said to the King.

"I am honored, your majesty. For your eyes to be captured by my beauty." Lady Pierce said but did not look at him, a decision she considered to be so improper.

The king continued onto his royal duties. Minister Pierce pulled Cara aside.

"Remember, do not make any enemies here, and if you do:do not let them know that you are faking it and do your duty:giving the king a son before the queen does. The king is weak willed, daughter. You could take him on so easily."

* * *

Amelia was sitting in her private garden when Natalia, the sister of her king accompanied by her ladies in waiting.

"Sister, i've heard that Lady Pierce has arrived." Natalia said.

Amelia remained silent but looked into her sister-in-law's with misty eyes.

"I could not bear to welcome her, Natalia. The nobles are trying to overthrow us and i-" she was cut off by Natalia. Natalia flicked her gaze side by side, making sure no one is listening to them.

"Be careful of what you say, sister. The nobles hold too much power and you cannot handle them. The best you can do is do your job as a queen. Sit still, be pretty..." Natalia took her sister-in-law's hand and squeezed it.

Silence fell upon dinnertime. Amelia distanced herself from her King which entertained Lady Pierce. She pushed her food around her plate.

"May i be excused, my king?" Amelia said as her lady in waiting rushed to her aid.

"Are you alright,dear sister?" Natalia asked worriedly.

"Im just not hungry, i'll have to do a bit of a light reading..." Amelia stood up as Madison led her to the library.

* * *

In honor of Lady Pierce's arrival, a grand ball was served among the higher aristocracies of Berasienne. It is no secret that the event was lavishly celebrated. Queen Amelia sat in the distance with her ladies in waiting, as she longingly stared at Lady Pierce as she was the apple of the King's eye.

"What seems to bother you, my queen?" Madison asked.

"It is nothing, Madison. I just dont realize why the ball is held so lavishly. Yet i never seen the citizens of Berasienne, as the only time i've seen them is during my wedding." Amelia said as she pried her attention to the snow falling outside the big windows.

Then, multiple gunshots stopped the ball momentarily. The aristocracies whispered to one another. Minister Pierce stood up, not wanting to ruin the occasion as his daughter is led across the ballroom by the king in his arms.

"Aye, stray gunshots. Let the music commence!"

And everything was back to normal once again. Queen Amelia turned to Madison once more.

"Let us go, i am worried about the gunshots that i heard." Queen Amelia stood up and Madison trailed after her. The people did not notice the absence of their queen.

On the way to the main entrance, the pair were met by Hamilton, the Captain of the Royal Guards.

"The gunshots? What happened, Hamilton?" Queen Amelia asked.

Hamilton did not want to be the bearer of bad news in a joyous event held at the palace.

"It is certainly not your concer- Your majesty! You must not go there!" Hamilton said as the Queen bypassed him and trudged towards the snowy field in front of the palace. Then the sight made the Queen stop in her tracks.

Hundreds of men lay in the snowy ground, blood stained the white snow covering the rich grass. The cries of people echoed around the area, pleading to their king.

"Your majesty, fair working conditions and fair taxes is all we ask. God save the king! Your royal highness, please hear our cries!" One of the standing citizens cried before getting shot by the royal guards.

Tears rolled down the queen's face upon seeing the people of her adopted country. The guards bowed to her, but the scene of guards shooting the citizens plagued her mind and she stepped back.

"Return to the palace, your majesty. This not a sight for you to see." One of the senior guards said.

"This might get worse, your majesty. We will be held accountable if you get hurt." Hamilton said as he grabbed the queen by the elbow. Queen Amelia sank to the ground and threw up the contents of her stomach. Madison helped her queen to stand up, but Queen Amelia fainted.

It was one of the moments that scarred the queen, forever.

* * *

For two days, the queen refused to see anyone. Only her lady in waiting was allowed inside the queen's suite. Queen Amelia stared at the food in front of her, and refused it once more.

"How can i eat when people are dying just to pay their taxes. I feel ungrateful of the food infront of me, just give them the food." Queen Amelia muttered weakly.

"Your majesty, please eat your food. The king is very worried about you, the whole palace is worried that you'll get sick."Madison pleaded.

"Tell them to worry about the hundreds of men who died during that Sunday. Tell him to hear then out, listen to his people." Queen Amelia said to her.

"Your majesty..." Madison pleaded.

Hamilton entered the room and bowed to the queen.

"How bad is it?" Queen Amelia asked him.

"The king forbade me to discuss these matters with you, so it wouldn't interfere with your recovery. I'm sorry, your majesty." Hamilton said.

Madison and Hamilton left the queen alone who never touched her food. Madison sighed deeply.

"How many died,brother?" Madison asked.

"Two hundred men, Madison. I dont blame how the queen felt after what she witnessed, she is traumatized seemingly she was clueless of Berasienne's situation." Hamilton said as they walked out of the Queen's suite. King Ian waited for them at the hallway.

"How is she?" He asked worriedly.

"Not good, your majesty. She is going paler and paler. She is clearly traumatized by what she saw." Hamilton said

"Perhaps something to distract her, Your majesty. The queen has been through a lot. Maybe sending her mother and brother to distract her?" Madison mentioned.

"Its a good idea, i will write a letter to Hope and Daniel Cahill." King Ian said before returning to his duties.

* * *

King Ian wheeled his queen to the palace gardens. Amelia's mind was somewhere else and the King knew that.

They stopped at the queen's rose garden.

"A penny for your thoughts, my queen?" King Ian said sincerely.

Queen Amelia sighed deeply.

"What happened three days ago, my king? Why did your men slaughtered hundreds of...citizens?" Queen Amelia asked.

King Ian caressed his queen's cheek and wiped the single tear that fell on her cheek.

"It was an accident, my queen. The guards cannot contain them all. They are thousands of man, Amelia." King Ian reasoned out.

"Thousands of man who just wanted you to know that they wanted fair working conditions and fair taxes. There is no need for violence." Queen Amelia countered.

"Being a king isn't easy, Amelia. You have to make a decision thats not only good for them, but what the nobles will approve. They could turn the tables in a minute, it is the only way we stay in power. " King Ian said grimly.

"B-but" Queen Amelia was cut off by her King.

"Amelia, listen to me. The Berasienne government is filled with Lucians, dear. So if you dont want to end up dead, just stay silent. I dont want to lose you..." King Ian trailed off.

Queen Amelia slowly got up and headed towards the swing set.

"I guess, if your feeling a bit better we could start trying again-" he leaned in towards Queen Amelia.

"Your majesties, Hope Cahill and Fiske Cahill are waiting in the palace's solar..." Madison bowed.

"Very well then, we'll finish this later at night. I have some things to attend to, my queen." King Ian kissed her cheek before Madison wheeled the queen towards the palace's solar room.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp, please be advised that the earlier chapters are going through revisions. Thank you :)**

"Two hundred men. Two hundred men were shot by the royal guards while your husband threw lavish balls and feasts, even as his people continued to suffer," Fiske Cahill, the queen's uncle, said the moment the Cahills were left alone.

Hope Cahill sighed as she stroked her daughter's hair.

"Now is not the time to reprimand Amelia, Fiske," Hope said protectively. "She is recovering from the incident, and shall not be bothered about it."

"I know, Uncle…" Amelia murmured as terrible memories of the incident flashed before her eyes.

"You must interfere, Amelia or bloodshed will rise upon Berasienne... unless you want another purging of your subjects?"

Amelia's blood ran cold. Another purge is something she never wanted. She had spent time in the Cahill Library and knew how Berasienne purged citizens thrice in history.

And every time, the people had been innocent- this much she knew.

"She is a woman, Fiske. Do you want her to be deposed, or worse beheaded?" Hope shot furiously at Fiske.

"You made Amelia's situation worse the moment she was chosen to be King Ian's consort. You could have declined, Hope. But you didn't- you dug your own daughter's grave the moment she became affiliated with the Kabras."

Fiske then turned to Amelia, who was distressed to be caught between her uncle and mother.

"Do your duty, Amelia. Save your kingdom before it's too late," Fiske urged. "You must gain His Majesty's favor, let his eyes be only upon you. Influence him, and whatever happens do not give Lady Pierce a chance to gain control of Berasienne's throne. A son of yours must be the Crown Prince."

* * *

After meeting her mother and uncle, the queen felt even more torn between the latent comfort of her family's presence during these trying times, and the pain that their honest words had inflicted in her.

Wishing to clear her head, Amelia decided to take a stroll to a small clearing outside the woods surrounding the palace, accompanied by Madison.

"You have been silent, My Queen. Is there any problem?" Madison asked perceptively.

"No, none at all- why are my brushes and paints are here?" Queen Amelia asked, wishing to change the subject as she picked up a brush and eyed the easel in front of her.

"King Ian wanted you to relax, My Queen," Madison explained. "The royal nurses are counting your cycles for the said consummation. He wants everything to be perfect for the royal consummation, and the eventual birth of the crown prince."

The Queen's cheeks reddened as Madison spoke so casually about the upcoming consummation date. She always forgot that these things were spoken of quite freely in court- even intimate matters between the king and queen were known by all.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," Madison said hastily, fearful that she might be punished. "I spoke out of context."

"No need, Madison. I must face reality after all, and realize that I must do my duty as a wife and queen," The queen said vaguely as she dipped her brush in paint.

Some hours later, Madison glanced at what the queen was painting. She noticed the inscription in the upper left corner of the canvas:

 _It is tragic of what the people are going through- did the heavens forsake them?_

 _There are no people in this kingdom- they are but mere creatures_

 _It breaks my heart that the king is blind to the plight of his kingdom._

 _I pity all those who were killed in that bloody first snow_

 _I pity myself for doing nothing._

Madison gasped as she beheld finished painting and realized exactly what the inscription on it meant.

She turned to the Queen who bore a solemn expression as she examined her finished work.

"My lady, you must not!" Madison said, horrified. "This painting- you can be killed for it! I beg of you, let me destroy it, for I would not want you to be executed."

The queen did not reply, but as as the sky grew dark and storm clouds appeared over the horizon, Madison helped the queen quickly pack up the supplies and they hurried back towards the castle. Amelia pulled her shawls tighter as cold winds blew, and Madison followed with the concealed painting in her own shawls. They entered through the servant's wing, and Madison set the painting down on a table.

Noting the queen's shivers, Madison said, "My lady, you look chilled to the bone. I shall fetch you hot chocolate and bring them up to your quarters."

The queen agreed and left to go upstairs as Madison stayed in the kitchens to fix the hot chocolate. She was pouring it into a cup when she heard a crash and clatter from upstairs, and then screams.

Dropping the steaming cup, Madison rushed upstairs.

The painting laid forgotten on the table.

* * *

King Ian walked briskly inside the queen's quarters. There, she laid unconscious and extremely pale in her bed as the nurses tended to her.

"What happened to the queen?" He asked Madison, who was sitting anxiously at her mistress's bedside. Hamilton was at the door, guarding it.

"She was fine before luncheon, after which we went outside for some time. She was shivering so I decided to make her chocolate, but before I could bring it to her, I heard her collapse," Madison answered rapidly, distress showing on her features.

The nurses checked the Queen's pulse one last time and faced the king.

"She is most certainly poisoned, Your Majesty. The queen ingested henbane, which can have further side effects. I'm afraid the royal consummation will have to be postponed for the time being," the nurse said.

"How long will the queen be like this?" Madison asked, worriedly eyeing the queen.

"It depends on how the queen's system is cooperating. The primary antidote has been given already, and it stops the poison from spreading into her bloodstream. It is the only thing we can do- Her Majesty must battle the poison herself."

The nurses took their leave. Only the King, Madison and Hamilton Holt were left with the unconscious queen.

The king was frozen as his mind was ran through suspects and reasons they would harm their queen.

"There is something suspicious about this whole matter, Your Majesty," Captain Holt finally spoke up, immediately sparking the king's attention.

"What do you mean?" The King questioned. "Do you have a possible lead on who might have done this?"

"No sire, but it's the timing... why did they poison the queen now, the very day of the royal consummation?" Captain Holt asked.

The king had no answer.

Instead, he returned to the queen's bedside, contemplating his wife. Somehow she still looked peaceful while ill. He sat down beside her, and held her cold hand.

"The nobles are striking against us, Your Majesty," Hamilton warned. "I will look into the matter, provided you give me permission to investigate, sire."

The King shook his head. "No, and you will put this matter out of your mind," he ordered.

* * *

Cara Pierce was a woman of great beauty and elegance, and she knew it. Her whole life, she had heard men and women alike wax poetics about her meadow-green eyes and lovely figure, and she knew she held a rare power over many.

Cara Pierce also hated to lose.

Circumstances had turned against her as soon as the king shut himself with his ill queen, but no matter; The queen may have inadvertently won this battle, but Cara would win the jug in hand, she headed towards the balcony where she had spotted the king alone. She poured him a glass and came to stand beside him.

"Your Majesty, some wine to relieve your troubles?" Cara offered, but he only waved it away.

She placed a soothing hand on his shoulder, but he pried it off.

"Why are you doing this?" The king asked irritably, finally turning to her.

Undeterred, Cara said, "Forgive me, Your Majesty, I stepped over the line- an evening stroll perhaps?"

King Ian wordlessly stood and fell in step besides Cara. She purposefully kept some distance between her and the king.

Some time later, Cara spoke up. "If you cannot fall asleep, Your Majesty, I humbly suggest you take more walks such as these and inhale the nature's fresh air. It will be beneficial to your health."

The king stopped in his tracks.

"How did you know I have had trouble sleeping, when only a select few know?" He asked her curiously.

Cara dared to look into the King's amber eyes and saw deep skepticism in them. She hastened to explain.

"I am no expert in medicine but you clench your hands while talking, Your Majesty. That, along with all the stresses I know you face means you cannot be sleeping well, sire."

The King was impressed by Lady Cara's knowledge and sensitivity, and it was all Cara could do to suppress a smirk at his awe of her.

"I should like to know you better, Lady Cara," King Ian said, "for you are far more than I ever thought you to be," King Ian said.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp, please be advised that the previous chapters will remain untouched. Thank you :)**

The queen's recovery was not swift after all. Queen Amelia remained unconscious for three whole days, bedridden with a high fever. The castle of Berasienne was on pins and needles as they awaited the queen's recovery. In the meanwhile, a bigger problem was emerging, and Berasienne was about to face a turning point in their kingdom.

Piles and piles of unread papers were on the king's table. Conflicts regarding the kingdom and diplomacy added fuel to the existing problem the castle had.

The king couldn't bear to do anything, not with the distraction of his queen being ill.

Those who knew of the true reason behind the queen's collapse remained silent about the real reason of her sickness. Instead, they fabricated a reason that the queen's corset was pulled too tight and collapsed due to difficulty breathing. Others connected it to the incident of the first snow.

King Ian entered the queen's chamber to clear his mind from the nobles who were pestering him. However, he did not find the queen resting in bed. He took a look around his surroundings and noticed the balcony was open. There, the queen sat in silence drinking her tea.

"Why are you out here, my queen?" Ian asked as he sat down next to her.

"I had been unconscious for a while, Ian. It's just nature can heal you and… kill you at the same time." Amelia said quietly, staring out into the distance.

Ian sighed as he lifted the queen with ease and set her down in the bed. Tucking her into the woolen blankets as he breathed a sigh of relief. She was fortunate to live after being poisoned. He sat down by her side.

"I almost lost you, Amelia. I was by your side and watched as you convulsed and succumbed to your fever, but I could do anything," The king blurted out.

The queen began, "Ian, I-", but the king cut her off. The queen was surprised by Ian's pent up frustration. He was human after all. Just because he was king, it didn't mean he was a pillar of rock- devoid of emotion.

"Promise me you'll be by my side, and that you won't leave me."

* * *

Madison handed the queen her shawl for the evening. It was a special night, tonight was the night they consummated their union. The nurses had ensured the queen was doing better before the announced the date, apparently unwilling to wait another month.

The queen wore a red gown that was the same color as her lips.

Madison led her queen to the gardens where the King was waiting and gave them privacy. She wasn't going to see the queen until tomorrow morning. She hoped that everything would be okay and the queen would bear a prince.

The King held out his hand to his Queen and she gladly took it. Amelia pulled her shawls tighter on her as the cold winds of December gust through them as they walk.

"Are you scared?" King Ian asked.

"No, it's my duty to give you a son and I know you won't harm me," Amelia said as they turned around the courtyard and towards the King's chambers.

"I told them that we will not rush, but it seems the nurses are more impatient than us. I told them you may not be well yet and might relapse, but they did not heed my words." The king said as he walked side by side with his queen.

The queen's breath hitched as they arrived by the door to the King's chambers. She stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do. But one look from her king she knew that she would not doubt his words.

* * *

That same night, a masked figure met with Lady Cara in her chambers. The room was barely lit but it was enough for them to recognize each other's presence.

"Was it you who planted the poison?" Cara asked, her voice almost inaudible.

The masked figure in black shook their head.

"It wasn't me, my lady. But it seems that the poison the queen ingested may have long term effects. It is known as the silent killer. "

The masked figure's comment caught Lady Cara's attention. Another plot against the queen was something Cara had not expected.

"What do you mean that it's a silent killer?" Cara asked as her curiosity got the best of her. Oh how she wanted to see that blasted queen fall!

"The nurses won't be able to detect it again but it is still in her bloodstream. Once the queen gets pregnant, that will be the end of her. The poison will slowly kill the child inside her womb, and when it is time to birth the beloved heir, the pain of childbirth will trigger a convulsion that will stop the oxygen going to the queen's brain, she and the baby will be dead in no time."

Cara smiled triumphantly at the revelation. How interesting, she cocked her head to the side remembering the other plan she had.

"And what about those peasants? Are things going according to plan?" Cara asked.

"The mobs have started a resistance already and that painting added fuel to the fire. The royal guards are investigating it, the painting is due to reach the king's presence."

* * *

The queen was asleep beside the king. The king however was wide awake, and he stiffened as the queen laid an arm around him. The nurses should have heeded his words, as the queen was exhausted. The alabaster skin of his queen shone in the moonlight. A red duvet covered the rest of their bodies.

"Your Majesty, are you decent?" The voice at the door was none other than that of Major General Ivan Kleister's.

Ian stood up and gently untangled the queen from his body. He smoothed out his discarded clothes and threw on a robe before meeting the major general.

"What is it that you needed to bother me in the middle of the night?" Ian impatiently asked the moment they were in the study.

Major General Kleister was accompanied by another guard who held a canvas. The major general removed the sheet covering it.

"You woke me up in the middle of the night to see a painting?" the king asked, irritated, but the major general was unmoved.

"The people have started a revolution, Your Majesty. What happened in the first snow spread throughout the kingdom, it has tarnished your reputation. The painting has triggered this."

The king stood up and examined the painting. It was the image of mother Berasienne, the kingdom personified. It was a normal painting after all, but it was the inscription is what caught the king's eye:

 _It is tragic of what the people are going through- did the heavens forsake them?_  
 _There are no people in this kingdom- they are but mere creatures_  
 _It breaks my heart that the king is blind to the plight of his kingdom._  
 _I pity all those who were killed in that bloody first snow_  
 _I pity myself for doing nothing._

The king stared furiously at the painting, anger running through the king's mind as he clenched his fist. Speaking in low tones, he gave the terrible command:

"You seek out this treacherous artist, execute them once found."

* * *

The queen woke up all alone in the king's chamber. The bell was on her bedside and she rang for a maid with it. She pulled the duvet closer to her chest as Madison entered with a clean robe. Amelia hurriedly put it on and was led by Madison through the secret passage towards the queen's chambers. Amelia winced as she quickened her walking pace.

"Are you alright, my lady?" Madison asked. The queen blushed deeply when she realized where the pain is coming from.

"I'm fine, Madison. I'm just- how do I put it- sore. My body is just aching," Amelia sheepishly answered and Madison shrugged it off.

The queen carried on her usual activities and painted in the clearing with Madison and Captain Holt. It was a fine day as she painted clear skies in her easel.

A flick of the eye, and Captain Holt saw something headed towards their way at an alarming speed.

"LOOK OUT!" He roared as he shielded the queen and his sister. An arrow pierced his arm and the mighty captain groaned in pain.

The queen rushed to examine her guard's bleeding arm. Captain Holt removed the arrow from his arm and blood gushed out. Amelia tore a part of her cotton skirt and used it to apply pressure to his wound before all three of them hurried back inside.

"I should tend to your arm first, Captain Holt," Amelia offered once they were in the safety of the castle.

The Captain shook his head and politely refused. The queen, however, was stubborn and insisted that she tend to his wound.

"You saved my life, Captain Holt. Let me pay it back by helping you," she persisted.

Hamilton had no choice in the end but to obey. The queen's wide, jade eyes made it impossible for him to say no to her.

Hamilton held his breath as the queen placed herbs to stop the bleeding and bandaged it. He could feel the queen's tender touch while she tended to his wounds.

This is touch which I am not worthy enough to feel upon my lowly skin, Hamilton thought.

Madison saw how his brother looked at her lady. She knew what it meant and and she knew she was in big trouble.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp.**

Queen Amelia was not the sort who was fond of climbing over the castle walls. And yet, she was doing exactly that. She had replaced her satin gowns with an maid's outfit, and looked practically unrecognizable as soot and dirt covered her face.

"I think we should just return, my lady. Goodness, What if you fall? The king would have my head if something happened to you!" Madison said worriedly even as she went along with her mistress's plan.

The queen paid no mind to her lady in waiting as she jumped over a final fence.

"I'm sorry if I dragged you into this, Madison, but I must know what is going on beyond the castle's walls." The queen said as they walked down the path towards a small village.

The village stood upon the Surree Mountain, and was in the outskirts of Berasienne. As they came closer, a monastery was visible on top of the mountain. The queen quickened her pace, and soon they stood atop of a cliff, where they could see all of Berasienne.

"Please be careful, my lady. It is a long drop down, and I do not want you to fall," Madison said as she grabbed ahold of the queen.

The queen tore her gaze from the view and proceeded to walk towards the village. Along the way, she saw friars emerging from tavern, jugs of ale in hand. The tavern was filled with prostitutes and seeing how the friars took them made Amelia disgusted. Children were not playing in the grass, but rather working and being sent down in the mines. The queen wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"I did not know they were suffering this much," the queen said, moved.

Madison returned her sentiment as they trudged towards the latter part of the village. Vagabonds filled this even poorer part of the village. The queen realized that these people were starving as the friars were indulging themselves with alcohol and food. A small child drove past the queen and snatched the satchel the queen had brought. The child however was no match to Madison's reflexes.

"How dare you steal from my lady? Do you know who she is?" Madison reprimanded the young child.

Amelia held up her hand to silence her lady-in-waiting and approached the guilty child. The young child held the satchel tightly.

"Can you please give it back?" Amelia asked kindly.

The child guiltily gave the satchel to the disguised queen. He hung his head low.

"I'm sorry," the little boy mumbled. The queen's features immediately softened.

"Stealing is bad, my child. How would you think I would feel if you had gotten away with my satchel?" the queen bent down to the child's level.

"It has money, I can buy food with it. I won't be hungry. I promise I won't do it again, just don't let the friars know."

The queen looked at the little boy in pity as he flung himself unto her. Her maternal instincts kicked in as she comforted the child.

"Do you have something for the child to eat, Madison?" the queen asked.

"Why would you feed that wretch who tried to steal from you, my lady?" Madison questioned, but obeyed once the queen gave her a stern look.

The child devoured the bread as the queen cleaned the dirty face of the child. Madison watched as Amelia tended to the peasant child.

The future crown prince will be very lucky to have a mother like her, Madison thought.

"Wade!" A woman cried out from a distance before running to fetch her child. "I am sorry to have bothered you," she told Amelia.

"Are you this child's mother?" Madison asked.

The peasant woman knelt to the ground and the child ran into her waiting arms. "Yes, I am," she said.

"How bad is your situation here?" Amelia asked curiously.

"We are starving due to that blasted king! He goes to parties, balls and feasts yet his people starve and he king does not even try to help…" the woman ranted out her frustrations.

Amelia reached into her satchel for a few coins and gave it to the peasant woman. Before the grateful woman left, had some final words for Amelia:

"Thank you, kind stranger, but I am sure you know that the coins will not last forever. The kingdom's burdens and mine must be resolved by the crown."

* * *

Amelia entered the king's study late at night. She saw the king in a vulnerable state, his eyes closed and his head resting on his hands. The queen pulled a chair and sat besides her king. The matter of Mount Suree was forgotten as the queen worried about husband's state.

"What are you thinking about so intently that you did not realize my presence?" Amelia asked softly.

The king placed his paperwork down on the table and faced the queen. Dark circles rimmed the king's eyes.

"I should not bother you with the affairs of the state," he muttered tiredly but Amelia gave him a pleading look that eventually led him to talk.

"I wasn't supposed to be king, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would rule this country. You often wonder why I can't go up against the nobles, and it's because they were the ones who enthroned me," the king said and looked distantly out the window, watching the snow fall onto the glass panes.

"During the selections," the queen spoke slowly, "my mother taught me to mess my whole exam up. She told me to curtsy clumsily and act like a rough boy instead. My mother wanted me to lessen my chances of getting picked as your wife. You are not the only one who supposedly not here."

"There are times which we have to face the uncertain. You can be a great king, Ian. It's never too late, isn't it?" the queen comforted her king.

* * *

Lady Cara used her schemes at whim, even if it was to get under the queen's skin. She was spending her afternoon having tea with the queen for the first time.

Cara eyed the crown that the queen wore, knowing that it would be hers soon enough.

"Your Majesty, how lovely to speak to you at last!" Cara told the queen in a tone of poisoned sweetness. "I had almost lost hope in ever meeting you."

The queen placed her teacup down and stared at Cara.

"Well you have now, Lady Cara," the queen said, frowning, unsure where this was going.

"But then, I suppose it is both our faults," Cara said consideringly, adding in simpering tones, "while you have been out and about, I have been quite preoccupied... elsewhere."

Madison, watching on the side, was aghast of how Lady Cara mocked the queen. Amelia looked at Lady Cara, fury in her gaze as she caught onto what Cara was saying.

Oh how Cara loved to make her nemesis uncomfortable. The queen, however, chose to play Cara's game.

"Are you implying that you took over my duties when ill? If that is the case, then I'm sure Berasienne thanks you for being my temporary replacement," the queen smiled.

Lady Cara inwardly scoffed even as she badly wanted to wipe that smile off the queen's face. The ladies in waiting whispered to one another. A rumor was about to arise about the heated discussion between the two ladies of the palace.

Lady Cara eyed the sapphire necklace that adorned the queen's neck. It was a heart shaped pendant with a big sapphire stone that was the vibrant hue of the ocean.

Cara could not stop herself from touching the queen's sapphire necklace. Amelia stiffened as the clasp came loose with a single tug and Cara took an interest in it. She brazenly placed the necklace around her neck and looked up at a dumbfound Amelia.

"You won't mind do you, Your Majesty?" This necklace is so beautiful. As we are practically in the same position, it would not be wrong to share certain things." Lady Cara smirked. The queen said nothing.

Lady Cara stared at her reflection in a nearby mirror. The sapphire necklace gleamed in the sunlight as it stood against Lady Cara's alabaster skin.

"This sapphire necklace is passed from queen to queen, made from the finest sapphires in the world. I suggest you be careful, my queen, else these sapphires will find themselves on the neck of its next owner."

Amelia abruptly stood up, enraged. "How dare you-" she begins, and the table rattled dangerously. Madison made a move to save the shaking teacups, but instead accidentally toppled one of them onto Lady Cara's skirts.

"You imbecile!" Cara shrieked at a cowering Madison.

"Forgive me, my lady, it was an accident!" Madison pleaded. However her pleas were unheard as Lady Cara ordered the servants fetch the paddle in order to punish the queen's lady-in-waiting. Madison was dragged in front of the king's irate mistress and forced to her knees.

"Enough!" The queen's raised voice filled the room. The servants froze but Cara did not budge. The queen rushed to Madison's side and stood her up. Before leaving, the queen turned to Cara.

"You overstep your boundaries, Lady Cara. My servant did not mean to harm you. Punishment will no longer be necessary as she had done nothing wrong."

* * *

The news of a mere servant who dared to pour tea on Lady Cara but was left unpunished circulated around the castle like wildfire. King Ian barged through the queen's chambers and demanded that the chamber be emptied of everyone but her.

"Lady Cara complained to me about the servant, and yet Madison was left unpunished. She cannot just get away with her actions, Amelia. Madison must be punished for her insolence or they will think you are turning the blind eye towards her."

Amelia looked at the king apprehensively before she knelt before him in hope of sparing her maid from punishment.

"I would gladly take the punishment, Your Majesty!" She begged fervently. "I would take every punishment because I must be responsible for my servant yet I was not!"

The king tried to make the queen stand up, as seeing her vulnerable like this was a sight he never wanted to see.

"Your Majesty," Queen Amelia continued, unwilling to budge, "let me remind you that I am your wife."

"I do not need to be reminded, Amelia. I simply do not understand why you are acting harshly towards Lady Cara. She told me that you were treating her indifferently," King Ian said, anger palpable in his voice.

"How do you think I would feel?" Queen Amelia replied, her voice raised.

King Ian looked at her in disbelief. The queen fearfully backed away.

"Do not yell at me, Amelia- why are you acting like this is the first time you' have been reprimanded? Do you think being a queen is easy?"

"Do you know how painful it was for me to listen to the servant's gossip that while I lay in the sickbed, you were out in the gardens with her at night? Ian, I am your wife- I have the right to be upset! Do you think it is easy for me to be the laughing stock of the people? A mistress in the palace when I could certainly give you an heir, that's blasphemy!"

Tears rolled down the Queen's cheeks. King Ian hated to see her like that but he knew that he had to stop succumbing to the queen's wiles.

"Stop crying, Amelia. Do not behave like a child. It is not befitting someone in your position," King Ian said, clearly annoyed.

"Ian, i-" she began, but was cut off by the king.

"I thought you were far from the other women I had encountered, but you proved me wrong, Amelia. You are just like them, a jealous women."

Once the king stormed out, Amelia fell onto the ground sobbing. Madison, having to have heard everything, ran in to comfort the queen as she wept.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp.**

Hamilton knew that Madison was able to look after herself. He knew that if Madison was needed help, it was something big. That is why the captain of the royal guards was surprised to see his sister appealing to him rather than by Queen Amelia's side.

"I have a confession to make." Madison said directly.

Hamilton arched an eyebrow, surprised. His sister was not a secretive person, but he had been away from his family since he was twelve, and Madison was far from the little girl he remembered.

"Someone I know might have committed treason. I hid the truth about it, brother, because I couldn't bear for her to be punished when she only stated the truth," Madison trembled.

"What are you talking about, Madison?" Hamilton asked, confused.

"Protect her, Hamilton!" Madison begged her brother.

"How could I protect a traitor to the nation, Madison? How could I break the oath I sworn to uphold?" Hamilton countered.

"I am talking about the queen, brother."

The revelation left Hamilton astonished. Madison fell silent as Hamilton contemplated this shocking development. He could not believe it- the queen, the woman he looked up to, was the traitor?

He never thought that she would have committed treason.

Finally, Madison made a full, hasty confession: "The queen is very fond of painting and literature. On the day that she was poisoned, the queen painted something about the incident of the first snow. I am frightened for the queen, Hamilton. She made so many enemies in the palace already. She might have already lost the favor of the king because of me."

Hamilton consoled his sister who pleaded for Queen Amelia's protection. He was still wary after what Madison had revealed, but he eventually decided protect the queen no matter what.

* * *

When Hamilton entered the king's study, a painting immediately caught his eye. It seemed almost patriotic in nature, but before he could read the inscription, the king entered the study.

"I did not know that you had a taste for such paintings, Your Majesty." Hamilton said as the king stood beside him. The king's eyes flicked towards the art before he shook his head.

"How is the queen?" King Ian asked nonchalantly, but Hamilton could see the concerned look on his face as he asked the question. "I've heard she isn't coming out of her chambers- is she sick?"

Hamilton briefly remembered Madison mentioning how the queen had lost the king's favor. He did not know the whole story, but the king's action showed otherwise.

"The queen is well, Your Majesty. She is certainly in good health, though she tends to stay in her chambers more," Hamilton explained.

The king's attention diverted back to the painting.

"Standing in front of you is your assignment, Captain Holt," the king said, his tone becoming curt.

Hamilton reassessed the painting once more. There seemed to be nothing wrong with it- but then the inscription caught his eye.

 _It is tragic of what the people are going through- did the heavens forsake them?_

 _There are no people in this kingdom- they are but mere creatures_

 _It breaks my heart that the king is blind to the plight of his kingdom._

 _I pity all those who were killed in that bloody first snow_

 _I pity myself for doing nothing._

The captain swore he had that handwriting somewhere. He reread the final part of the inscription:

 _I pity all those who were killed in that bloody first snow_

 _I pity myself for doing nothing._

The captain thought he was delusional the moment he saw the queen's handwriting in the painting. He was certain it belonged to Her Majesty, but Hamilton said nothing, remembering his promise to Madison. Taking a last look at the painting, he excused himself to return to his post.

* * *

The moment Hamilton got out, he began searching for Madison, and when he did, he immediately pulled her into a private room.

"Do you still have the painting?" He whispered urgently to her.

Madison's expression turned from confusion to distress.

"Why do you ask? Of course I still have it," she said, though her face and voice betrayed otherwise.

"Stop lying to me, Madison. I am asking where the painting is." Hamilton repeated, this time more forceful.

Madison's lips quivered and she looked into his brother's eyes.

"I lost it," she confessed.

"What?" Hamilton asked furiously.

"I never told Her Majesty that I lost it! She already has too much on her plate already. Is there something wrong, brother?"

The captain only shook his head.

"The king has it already, he gave orders to find the treacherous artist and execute her once found." Madison gasped as Hamilton revealed everything. Concern was definitely seen in the queen's lady in waiting.

"Shouldn't you supposed to be by Her Majesty's side?" Hamilton said as he sauntered with his sister towards the queen's quarters. However, the queen was not in sight.

"She must have taken a stroll outside, brother. But it is strange that her shawl is here, the queen never goes out with it."

Hamilton sensing something seemed fishy, took a look around his surroundings but everything seemed fine and there wasn't a sign of intrusion.

"Where did the queen go?' he asked one of the guards in patrol outside the queen's chambers.

"We have not seen the queen, Captain Holt. She has not gone out of her quarters for a long time, why do you ask?" the guard in patrol said. Hamilton glanced at his sister, her expression mirroring his own.

Fear.

* * *

Minister Pierce was rather a fortunate man. He was a prime minister who served two kings of Berasienne already, but he wanted more. His only daughter, Cara, served as the king's mistress, however, if it wasn't for the Cahills and the current king interfering with the selections that his mother had taken care of, Cara would have been queen.

"Berasienne will go to war, and the king will accompany the troops," Pierce told Cara. "Do your best to win the king's favor. Once the king is gone, we will dethrone the queen ourselves. Even the dowager queen is on our side," he instructed his daughter.

However, Cara had doubts about what her father had tasked her with.

"She already has consummated her marriage to her, Father. I cannot not get rid of her easily," Cara said.

The minister scoffed as Cara tried to make her point. The queen would not last long, as she made countless enemies in the palace already, and no heir would save even if it was a crown prince.

"Did you think that one night of consummation can get the queen with child? You ought to be smarter, Cara," the prime minister said through gritted teeth. Cara stiffened as her father grabbed her shoulders and spoke harshly.

"Take advantage of the queen losing the king's favor," Pierce advised her, his voice dropping to a whisper as he added, "Seduce the king if you must. Your birthright must be returned to you. There should be only one moon in the sky, and that must be you."

* * *

The queen stood inside her boudoir as the dresser lady re-adjusted her corset. The queen was only dressed in her white petticoats and corset, but she was supposed to attend a function later after luncheon.

"My lady, what dress will you wear?" the elderly dresser lady asked. Amelia held her breath as the lady tugged at the strings of her corset for the last time. Feeling sympathy for her, the queen stood up and opened the door of her wardrobe.

Stepping inside the dark room full of dresses, the queen held her hands out to feel the various fabrics of her dresses. The room was lacking ventilation however, as no air or light could shine upon the dresses besides the light from the doorway. The queen gently selected the dress of her choice but before she could turn around to return, the door was slammed shut and everything went dark.

Queen Amelia tried to navigate through the dark wardrobe. With the heavy dress in her hand, the queen did not know if she was getting farther to the doorway or closer. Sweat ran down from the queen's forehead. Suddenly, memories surged back as the queen clutched her chest, gasping for air.

 _Young Amelia stood in the dark and damp cellar. Being in a foreign country was not something she was accustomed to yet. Tears ran down the demoted princess' cheek as she spent her first night in the unfamiliar territory of the Kromiyan lands. She had made the unfortunate mistake of interacting with the Empress' children and the Empress had caught Amelia. She had not wanted her children associated with a demoted princess, and Amelia was put under arrest in her the palace._

 _"Lady Amelia, forgive me, but Empress Mariana left orders not to let you out. You should reflect and beg for her mercy tomorrow," a servant said behind the closed door of the cellar._

 _Sadly, Amelia did not understand what the servant was saying to her. The Kromiyan language was not yet taught to her, and they had already lost the war before that she could learn. The cellar was freezing, and Amelia shivered as she contemplated how her father and uncle could hand her over like a pig for slaughter._

 _Amelia tried screaming, but to no avail- the servants just ignored her. It did not help as there was a language barrier between them._

 _Amelia remained in that cold cellar for the whole night till the next morning after. Having learnt her lesson, she stayed most of her days reading to impress the Empress who how ruled over Amelia's own kingdom. She would free her country from this horrible tyrant._

"Help! Is someone out there? Can someone hear me? The door seems to be trapped! Help! Please!" The queen now cried out. She could feel the chills tingling down her spine. It seemed like déjà vu to Amelia as her pleas were wasted because as no one could hear her.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp. The responses that are in italics does not belong me but are lines form the poem of "Breaking of Flowers." by Lee Kyu Bo.**

Natalia always felt that she was in her brother's shadow. Her only duty to her family was to be married off to a wealthy noble and produce heirs.

She felt cheated.

Still, that did not stop her from feeling guilty about what the Queen Dowager made her do. She admired Amelia for her bravery and wit, and had not meant to harm her- it was her mother who gave her the poison and told her to spike the Queen's tea.

She paced back and forth outside the Queen's chambers, deliberating if she should confess to Amelia or not. Swallowing her pride, she entered the queen's chambers but found that the queen was not there.

Natalia knew something was wrong.

Just then, she heard soft thuds coming from the dressing room. Making up her mind immediately, the princess opened the doors of the dressing room.

Everything seemed fine- apart from the thuds she could still hear.

She turned her gaze towards the queen's wardrobe and soon found the key was in the potted plant. The queen was unfortunate that her wardrobe could be only opened on the outside. The princess reluctantly placed the key on the wardrobe and turned it open.

Natalia was faced with a terror-stricken queen. Tears ran down the queen's cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. Natalia led her sister in law to sit down. She noticed the queen was only in her white linen petticoats and corset.

"I thought I wasn't going to get out here," the queen trembled. Natalia reluctantly tried to calm her down, her guilt getting the best of her.

"Calm down, dear sister. The wind must have pushed the door, everything will be all right," Natalia coaxed the queen to relax.

Natalia tried to open her mouth to tell the queen everything.

But she will kill you if she finds out about it, just stick to Mother's plan. Mother will love me and spare me, the queen will not, Natalia thought.

Natalia ordered a servant to fetch the queen a glass of water. Though she had to play at being an enemy, the queen is still her sister-in-law. The Holt siblings barged in not long after Natalia wrapped a shawl around the queen. Hamilton turned around and faced the wall, as he was in a woman's private space.

"Will you please give us privacy for a while, Captain Holt? The queen must not be seen in her present state," Natalia said icily and Hamilton obeyed her as he stepped out of the queen's boudoir.

The incident was forgotten as the queen was prepped for her function after luncheon. The silence however was broken when the King's attendant delivered a message for the queen.

"His Majesty told me that he would wait for you in the castle gardens. He wishes to have a walk with you, my lady. He also told me to escort you myself." The attendant bowed and waited for the queen.

* * *

The dowager queen was someone who people dared not cross. Queen Isabel was a person who would do anything just to stay in power. After her husband was deposed, an obstacle was in her way, but she easily got rid of it and made her own son the crown prince. She was was ruthless, and she never dared to hide it.

That was the reason her husband, the king, was deposed in the first place. Her husband was someone who had no backbone, so Isabel took it upon herself to rule. The nobles feared that she would gain far too much power, and they never wanted a woman to be higher than them.

"The servants gossiped that the king and queen fought, it has become quite an issue that tarnishes the image of the royal family," Minister Pierce said as he met the dowager queen before luncheon.

The dowager queen never really liked her daughter-in-law. She found similarities between herself and the queen, the only difference is that Isabel had connections and the queen had not. The selections were unnecessary, as Isabel had already picked Cara Pierce, but Ian decided to interfere with her choices.

"Let them spread, the royal family will soon be divided anyway. Let us just sit back and watch them fall apart one by one."

* * *

Ian certainly wanted to make it up for Amelia. His conscience could not stand that his queen was upset with him. He paced back and forth around the castle gardens, waiting for his queen. Ian turned around and he saw the queen walking in the distance.

However, she hesitated when she saw him.

She stepped cautiously towards her king as the events of that night reiterated in her mind. They stood in front of each other as silence enveloped them both.

"Your Majesty," Amelia began.

The court ladies followed behind the king and queen. They kept their distance between the two royals but was eager to find out what was really going on between them.

"Please look at me, Your Majesty," Amelia quietly said. The king stopped in his tracks and looked at his queen in the eye.

"Don't do this here, Amelia," Ian stiffly said as he tried to maintain the facade of an authoritative demeanor in front of the others.

Ian ordered his attendants to leave, saying that he was to be left alone with the queen. They walked onto the path that was surrounded by all sorts of flora. A pond was in the distance, with lotus flowers blooming on it.

"The palace may be filled with many people, but it is a lonely place," the king said once there was a distance between the attendants and his queen. He then pulled Amelia into an embrace. Amelia could barely react as the king wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"Let's us stay this way, with are no rules between us. Promise me you'll stay by my side. Accompany me in this lonely palace life."

Amelia stiffened under the king's haunting embrace. She was not lying to him but why did she felt uneasy?

"Who can say how far we can go? Who am I to promise such thing, but I'll stay by your side if you love me for me."

The court ladies whispered to one another and it was a sigh of relief for them to see their king and queen in reconciliation. The queen faced the king with teary eyes.

"I thought that you were to send me away, Your Majesty. I should have not reacted like that, it was not befitting for a mother of this nation." Amelia bowed her head.

"No, I should have not spoken those words to you. Forgive me for being inconsiderate of my speech," the king bowed to her as well. One did not dare to look up, as the queen's cheeks tinged pink. They burst out laughing and the walk felt somewhat lighter.

On the middle of their walk, the couple spotted Lady Cara under the shade doing her embroidery. The king walked towards her and Amelia kept her distance remembering the previous interaction with Lady Cara.

"I did not expect you to be here, Lady Cara. What brings you here?" King Ian said as he watched Lady Cara embroidering peonies in a white handkerchief.

"I do have a lot of free time, Your Majesty. When I stepped in for the queen during her illness, I became so accustomed to doing her duties that I still long to do something for I cannot spend a day being idle." Lady Cara said and gave the finished embroidered handkerchief to the king.

"If I am not mistaken, these are peonies and edelweiss?" King Ian inquired.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Peonies symbolize royalty and virtue and edelweiss portrays courage and devotion, like how they thrive to live in harsh conditions."

The king held up the handkerchief, admiring the superb craftsmanship.

"You have done it excellently- even the butterflies themselves would be deceived," the king said in jest. Cara basked in his praise while Amelia stood behind them.

" _If a flower drinks in the pearly dew, the bride picks the flower and passed by the window._ Will you give me a response, Lady Cara?" the king offered. Lady Cara was flattered but said her response.

" _With a slight smile on her face, she asks her husband: Is the flower beautiful or am I more beautiful?_ " Lady Cara sneaked a glance to the silent queen.

" _As the groom jokes with the pearl, he replies that the flower is prettier than you_." King Ian replied.

Amelia understood the metaphor of the Lady Cara's response. The bride was the queen and the flower was Lady Cara herself. She asked him which was more beautiful, which would he choose?

" _The bride got annoyed with the reply that the flower was more beautiful, so she stomps the flower with her foot. If the flower is prettier than me, you can sleep with the flower tonight._ " Lady Cara finished.

Amelia's smile fell. A single tear fell down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away. The games had once more begun, and her time was running out.

The king chose the flower, he had chosen her.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I feel ill of sudden, may I be dismissed?" Amelia mustered up an excuse.

The king averted his amber eyes towards his queen and sat her down on the stool. He worriedly felt her forehead in case she was ill.

"I think the heat is making me feel dizzy, Your Majesty, but I can manage on my own." Amelia said meekly. Ian was wary of Amelia's sudden change of mood but let her go anyway.

Amelia walked back alone towards her chambers. Madison was probably waiting for her there. When she got back however, she found herself to be alone.

The queen sank to the ground and tears flowed freely out of her eyes. In this room, she could let it out and no one would care. Cara was bound to replace her and she could not do anything about it.

Amelia was powerless.

She used to think love was simple as how they were portrayed in books. She thought love was pure, that nothing would hurt- that love was just love. Amelia realized how used she felt. Were his words were just lies?

Why did he beg her to stay by his side if he went straight to Lady Cara afterwards?

Amelia was sidetracked, she was looking at the other way and never realized that danger was coming from within. How could she be so daft?

If she could just have been more vigilant. The queen wanted to scream so loud, and cry and she defend her honor. She wished she could die simply so that her failures would not plague her.

But all she could do was stare in the wall and suffer with the silence.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp.**

The recent events felt like cold water splashed onto the queen's face. With a heavy heart, she requested to visit her family for a while. Ian did let her go, the queen was on her way to the Cahill Manor, and Madison accompanied her as usual.

The queen stepped out of the carriage and the familiar view of the Cahill Manor came to her view. Madison followed behind her with wide eyes. The queen's mother, Lady Hope Cahill was waiting in the steps of the Cahill ancestral home.

"Is there something wrong? You don't usually go out to visit us, Amelia," Lady Hope said, concern lacing her voice.

"Ames? You're home?"

A tall dark-blonde man who bore the same jade eyes as the queen rushed to hug his sister. The queen barely recognized her younger brother who had grown to be a handsome young man.

"Daniel! Show some respect, is that how you greet the queen?" Lady Hope reprimanded.

"She was my sister before she became the queen of the nation, Mother. I've barely seen her since she was married off of to that cobra," Daniel complained but became silent when his mother gave him a stern look.

"Is Uncle Fiske here by any chance?" the queen asked.

Daniel Cahill stared at his sister.

"Who are you and what have you've done to my sister? My sister was never interested in politics." Daniel joked, but deep down, he was wary of his sister's actions.

Everyone got inside as the winds blew harder and the sun was beginning to set. It took a whole day to reach the Cahill Manor from the Berasienne palace. The Cahill matriarch certainly knew her daughter was already exhausted from her travel.

"How long will you be staying?" Daniel asked the moment they were left alone. It was rare to see his sister in a solemn state.

"As soon as I could speak to Uncle. I have a maximum of three days to spare," Amelia said.

* * *

Fiske Cahill arrived the day after and was surprised to see his niece who awaited his return. Once they were inside the Cahill library, they were free to speak of the unspoken matter.

"The prime minister will be feeding lies to the king, and you must be prepared. Many believe that the queen has the most influence on the king, but you have rather a powerless position. Daniel will enter the palace to keep you safe."

The queen remained silent and her uncle looked at her rather pitifully. Fiske can tell his niece was hurting- it could be seen the powerless queen's eyes.

"What made you change your mind?" Fiske asked.

"I realized my feelings were being toyed with, and that opened my mind. I finally understood that love and politics should never mix. Forgive me for being questioning this, but must Daniel come to the palace?" Amelia countered.

"Daniel will enter the palace as a scholar-official. He will not be there to interact with you directly. He will serve as my eyes and ears in the palace and will alert me if there is something wrong."

Amelia raised an eyebrow at her uncle's statement.

"Daniel? A scholar-official? You must be out of your mind, Uncle. We both know he'll probably hate it there, and he isn't exactly a person who enjoys following rules," the queen said.

Fiske ignored her.

"You have to let the king go, Amelia. People can do worse things than kill you. This was the first time you got hurt, but it will certainly not your last." Fiske stood up and walked towards the large windows that show the vast lands of the Cahill Manor.

"How do you destroy a monster without becoming one?" Amelia bluntly asked. Fiske turned around and faced his niece.

"A monster, is that how you see Ian Kabra?" Fiske asked.

The queen shook her head.

"You want to destroy a monster? Take away everything that he values and remind him of it every day. By doing this, it is up to him whether he succumbs to it or not, but you will regret destroying him because he will be your greatest horror."

* * *

Madison saw a change of character since the queen returned from the Cahill Manor. She noticed that the queen uses her power more assertively now. She was relieved that the queen would not be trampled on anymore.

The treacherous painting case was not progressing according to Hamilton. She watched as the queen got ready for the night.

"I will not be disturbed during the night, Madison," Queen Amelia ordered.

The lady-in-waiting examined her mistress from head to toe. The queen was just wearing her silk bedclothes and her auburn hair was framing her face. The queen headed towards the door.

"Your Majesty! Please do not go out in your state of undress, it might cause an uproar in the palace," Madison pleaded but her words fell deaf upon the queen's ears.

The guards stationed out of the queen's chambers turned away as the queen exited her chambers. Once far enough, Madison stopped in realization.

"Do not tell me you are making advances towards the king, Your Majesty. He is scheduled to be with Lady Cara tonight, and the dowager queen might hear about this," Madison stammered and the queen faced her.

The once-proud expression that Madison saw in her mistress diminished right before her eyes. Her mistress looked at her sadly.

"You would understand my fears if you ever became the king's wife, Madison. How painful it is for a wife that her husband will spend a night with his concubine," Queen Amelia quietly said. "You can retire to your chambers, Madison. I will take it from here." The queen added and walking to the path where the King's chambers were.

* * *

Ian saw something different in the queen. Their coupling certainly felt off, as it had seemed more forceful. Amelia had come into his chambers late at night and things had gone from there.

Cara must have been waiting for him all night.

The sun was rising but the king did not attempt to leave the queen in his bed.

"Ian? Where am I?" The queen muttered sleepily.

"You are in my chambers, love. Did you want to be with me that much?" The king teased.

"A wife must attend to her husband's needs, I see nothing wrong with what I did," Amelia recited, but exhaustion was seen in her features. The king rolled his eyes in amusement.

"Yes, you did. You did keep me up all night," Ian whispered as he played with a lock of the queen's hair.

"Your Majesty!" The queen's cheeks burned red with embarrassment. Ian smirked as his wife dared not to look at his eyes.

"If I fall asleep in court later, I'm blaming you," King Ian teased and moved closer to his queen. He sealed the distance between them as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"The sun is rising, Your Majesty. You have to attend to your people and attend court. Why are you acting strangely?" The queen soothingly whispered in the king's ear

"I could ask you the same question. The Amelia I knew is a woman of virtue and compassion, but the woman I saw last night is the complete opposite," King Ian pointed out.

"Your Majesty!" The offended queen looked at her husband who was trying hard not to laugh. The king certainly wanted this kind of mornings, not the harsh wake-up bells that he hated since he was a young prince.

* * *

The sound of silence echoed inside Lady Cara's chambers. The king's mistress was wide awake. She had been waiting for the king last night, and yet, he did not come at all.

Lady Cara sat in her mirror and clenched her fists in anger. She heard that the queen had come into the king's chambers and did not leave.

How dare she do that? How dare Amelia Cahill sabotage her night with the king?

The queen had grown a backbone, and Cara realized how much of a threat Amelia was to her. She would pay, oh yes the queen would pay.

The king's mistress threw a teacup in the mirror and it was smashed into hundreds of pieces. The crash, however, alerted her ladies and they stormed inside, expecting danger.

Amelia Cahill drew the line with her actions. Cara would ruin her again, and this time, she would not be forgiving.

Cara got dressed and headed towards the dowager queen's rooms. It was still early in the morning but she knew that Queen Isabel was already awake.

"Lady Cara is here, Queen Isabel." The attendant announced and let Cara in.

The dowager queen was at her balcony drinking her tea. Her sharp features were in contrast to the calm scenery.

"Cara, my darling daughter-in-law! How was your night with the king?" Queen Isabel asked in simpering tones.

"He did not arrive, Your Majesty," Lady Cara said simply.

"What?" The dowager asked furiously and Cara stepped back a little.

"The queen came into his chambers last night, and has not come out yet," Cara said, her tone rather upset.

Queen Isabel placed her teacup down. Cara smirked inwardly as the dowager queen was buying everything she said. The blame would be on the queen, and the king will be split between his wife and his mother.

"Are you saying that the queen sabotaged your consummation with the king?" Queen Isabel asked and looked directly into Cara's grey eyes.

"I don't wish to think of it that way, Queen Mother. I do not wish to think of the queen as a scheming woman," Lady Cara said politely.

Queen Isabel laughed and was astonished by how Lady Cara was a master manipulator. She chose well- the royal family will be divided in no time.

"It is astonishing how you could politely speak such insults. I will take care of the queen, and she will surely regret double-crossing you."

* * *

A lady physician was sent to the Queen's chambers about the monthly inquiry of the Queen's health. The physician was checking Queen Amelia's pulse and her eyes widened.

"Has the queen been vomiting?" The physician asked Madison who stood by the queen's bedside.

"She has not vomited but the queen is plagued with fatigue," Madison answered.

"Is there something wrong?" The king asked as he entered the queen's chambers.

The physician bowed to him and delivered the news to the queen.

"We are keeping the queen under observation. We suspect that Her Majesty is with child. We have to wait until she shows the physical symptoms as well." The lady physician then turned to Madison.

"Make sure Her Majesty does not do strenuous activities. It is too early to detect it. A month has passed since their consummation but if our suspicion is true, then the queen must be in good health."

"Station a lady physician next to the queen at all times. Her job is to make sure the queen is in excellent health," King Ian said as the lady physician bowed and left the room.

The king turned to Madison.

"Do not leave your queen unattended, Hamilton reported there has been an incident of the queen being put into danger," the king curtly said.

"I will not let that happen anymore, Your Majesty, and congratulations," Madison said.

The king sighed deeply and turned his concerned gaze on the fatigued queen before looking back at Madison.

"I'm rather worried. Her suspected pregnancy can put her in a vulnerable position. She might be placed in the center of political power," the king said worriedly.

"I will make sure the queen is in excellent health, Your Majesty, physically and emotionally," Madison bowed.

* * *

The queen had nothing to do in the evening but to take a stroll in the castle gardens. Queen Amelia felt that she was being watched and walked cautiously into the castle gardens. The queen was alone, as she had asked Madison not to accompany her.

The moon gleamed in the clear night sky. Queen Amelia pondered on her uncle's words. For a moment, she felt as if she was could not do it. She could not harm the so-called monster, because she had fallen for him.

But then, why did she feel she was the one turning into a monster?

Thousands of thoughts plagued the young queen's mind, and she did not notice the guards that crept up behind her. The queen had no time to react as the guards put a gag around her mouth to silence her and enveloped her in a sack.

It was not until the guards painfully set her back down to the ground did they removed her from the sack. She found herself at the castle dungeons. Amelia scanned the area, and she faced to face the Dowager Queen Isabel. But what shocked her the most was that the king was staring at her furiously.

"Amelia Hope Elizabeth Cahill, you are charged treason against the King of Berasienne."


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp.**

 _The young prince looked back to see if someone was following him. It was the third time that he escaped from his studies. He bumped into his older brother who was absorbed in his book._

 _"Escaping again, little brother? What would you do if the servants caught you?"_

 _The young prince shook his head and stared at his brother's book in disgust._

 _"Reading makes my head spin- how do you enjoy reading something that long?" Prince Ian bluntly asks._

 _The crown prince suppressed a chuckle at his younger brother's words. He ruffled the younger prince's hair and scanned the area around them. No one was around, the crown prince leaned over and spoke to his brother:_

 _"The coast is clear, dear brother. Run along, be back before the sun goes down."_

 _The young prince went out of the palace using a secret passage. The young prince sat underneath the elder tree in the near the palace, he was interrupted when he noticed a faint rustling near the area. The young prince turned around and saw it was a young girl._

 _"Who are you? Why are you here?" the prince demanded, the young girl, however, was unmoved. She dared not to look up from the book she was reading._

 _"I read here because it's comfortable." The young girl countered. The prince himself was not used to sharing the tree with her. The prince was not accustomed to sharing something, let alone the elder tree._

 _"Why are you here anyway? Are you not scared of the tree? Leave me alone," Prince Ian said rashly. The young girl rolled her jade eyes._

 _"Why are you asking me to leave? This is not your tree, does it have a name on it? It does not." The young girl pointed out. The young prince would have punished her for her behavior, but he could not. His eyes traveled to the book she was reading, it was the same book that his brother was reading._

 _"How old are you that you are reading that kind of book?" he asks._

 _"I am six-year-old and why do you want to know what I like to read?"_

 _Under that tree, a friendship formed and also died. The disguised prince continued going there for two years, but one day: the young lady with the jade eyes did not return._

* * *

The king shook the brief memory out of his mind. He was on the way to the castle dungeons as his mother caught the culprit behind the painting. On his way, he was informed that it was the queen herself who painted the treacherous painting.

He was at a loss for words.

Out of all the people, he did not expect the queen would be the one behind the painting. He cherished the queen too much that he had turned blind to her actions. It was painful for Ian to go through the twists and turns of the palace dungeons. There was a reason why he interfered with the selections. He could vividly remember that fateful day.

 _The teenage crown prince passed by the constellations and rituals office of the palace court. It was not a well-known office as the kingdom was transitioning to a new era. It was still there due to traditions that could not be ignored._

 _"Your fate will be decided by who the crown princess will be- one shall bring you to your grave and the other shall you kill."_

 _The crown prince was not a believer in the talents of the constellation office yet he was wary of the shaman's words. There was no harm in believing in it, but what should the future king choose?_

 _Should he kill in order not to be killed? Or should he be killed for his beloved crown princess?_

 _The selections were headed by Queen Isabel, who wanted what was best for the crown prince. The future king stayed at a distance as the selections were ongoing. Cara Pierce was already groomed to be his wife, so why bother to have the selections?_

 _But if she was his downfall, then it could not be. The Berasienne throne stood high and proud, it had to remain that way._

 _He'd have to get rid of the weak link himself._

 _Ian opened the doors to the throne room where his mother was conducting the selections for the crown princess. Three maidens remained under the strict watch of his mother and Natalia's scrutinizing stare. He stood with his mother and quietly told her that he would take over for the final round. The future queen will be the one holding his fate._

 _"Well done for making it past my the several rounds of the selections. Everyone seems nervous, so I suppose my mother had put you all through her standards that only three will remain in the final rounds," Ian said nonchalantly._

 _The maidens remained silent._

 _"We tell no lies in the palace. Your words shall not be a lie either, so if your answers are not good enough, you will be evicted from this round,"_

 _The sound of silence echoed throughout the throne room. Everyone was looking at the crown prince, for the first time in history: the crown prince interfered with the selections himself._

 _"I am the future king of this land if you could weigh my worth in money: How much do you think I am worth?"_

 _The first maiden fearfully raised her head. Her brown eyes were filled with fear and she stammered with her words._

 _"A million trite. No ten million, forgive me, Your Majesty. I know little of money, I do not know what is a large sum," She frantically answered._

 _Ian could see that the girl was a bumbling fool, how could he trust someone who knew nothing about money? He turned to Cara and nodded._

 _"Your virtue is great as a mountain and unfathomable as the ocean. Your worth cannot be measured in gold or weighed in silver. I will be able to answer your question then if the things I mentioned can be measured." Cara looked into his eye and smiled._

 _Ian turned away and faced the last maiden. The last maiden was a member of the Cahill family, but not much is known about them but she was a demoted princess who lost to the Kromiyan Empire._

 _"I dare to reply to His Majesty's question: one trite."_

 _Amber met jade as the officials were appalled by the maiden's answer. Whispers echoed throughout the throne room about the treacherous answer of the maiden._

 _"Nothing will be more precious than a single trite to the cold and famished. A man with resources does not know the value of a single trite. But to the man who has nothing knows its value very well. To the common people, the king is the much needed and valued one trite. Please rule your people with a just and impartial hand."_

* * *

Ian faced his wife as the guard cried out her crime. He stared at her furiously, but he did not know what to feel.

Did he choose the wrong queen? How is it that she would be his downfall and he would be hers at the same time?

How is that they shared the same fate?

The king shook his head and dared not to look at his queen. He could not bear to see the woman he once cherished.

He never expected her to betray him- Amelia was far different than that.

"Leave us be, I will be the one to carry out the orders," The king commanded, and everyone else fled the room.

Ian inched towards his queen, every step becoming heavier. The queen stared back at him, all could Ian see was his helpless queen.

"Are you going to untie me?" Amelia softly asked.

Ian shook his head.

"If I knew... If someone told me that you would be my downfall. I could not have chosen you that day right?"

He clenched his fist in anger and despair.

"Ian, what are you talking about? Why are they accusing me of treason against you?" Amelia looked at him with her haunting jade eyes.

The eyes he would have given into.

"You meant the world to me. I chose you because I thought Cara would be the one to bring my downfall. Did you do it?"

"Do what?" the queen asked.

The king stepped out and took the painting from the servant. He set it down in front of Amelia and saw her reaction. She stiffened at the sight of the forgotten painting.

"We tell no lies in the palace, did you... paint this?" the king asked and Amelia shook her head.

The queen was taken aback by his question and her hands slowly trembled, a habit that she does when she's nervous. Amelia stared at him as tears welled up in her eyes.

There she goes again, her eyes betray her once more.

"I d-did..." the queen whispered.

The king inhaled sharply as the queen confessed her crime. Her words felt like scalding water was splashed onto his skin. The king maintained his stoic expression, but deep down he was hurting. He wanted her to deny it, so she could remain by his side.

"I am the king of this nation. Did you realize what your words could do to you? I could have you executed!" Ian spat.

Queen Amelia did not meet his gaze. The king badly wanted to wake up from this dream, and find out that his queen had stayed loyal at his side.

"I could not bear to lie to His Majesty's question. If it is your will to execute me, so it will be." The queen muttered but her eyes sent a silent plea to her king not to kill her.

The king stared at her furiously and grabbed her by the shoulders. He wanted to turn back the time, how he wished he could die instead of feeling this pain.

"Take it back so I'll pretend I heard nothing," Ian said through clenched teeth.

"I cannot!" the queen cried out. The king drew his sword and pressed it at her neck, the queen remained unmoving.

"I regret everything. I regret choosing you, fighting for you that I would gladly forget everything to take away the pain. How can a mere woman make me feel like this?"

He spared her a final glance before withdrawing the sword. He stepped out and was greeted by Hamilton himself. Hamilton wore an expression that the king was suspicious of.

"You knew don't you?" Ian bluntly asked his servant.

"I found out before you did, but how could I bring death onto the mother of the nation? How could I tell her off when my sister was overjoyed that her mistress may be expecting," Hamilton said solemnly.

The king fell silent, as he remembered the physician's words earlier. Guilt overtook him as he was reminded of how he let his rage get the best of him.

"You are dismissed," the king said nonchalantly.

"Pardon?"

"I said go!" the king roared as Hamilton slowly stepped back and left Ian alone. The distressed king leaned against the wall. The door opened and the dowager queen walked slowly towards her son.

"Ian, you must let her go." His mother simply said but the young king shrugged.

It was painful for the king to let things be put in this way. The queen must have her reasons for that painting. Did she pity him?

The king snapped out of his thoughts and faced his mother. Queen Isabel would have expected him to get rid of the queen himself.

But he could not. He was not a murderer.

"Let her go, I'll deal with her later."

* * *

After the king stepped out, the guards let Amelia out according to his orders. The morning after was too peaceful for her liking. Madison was dressing the queen when the court ladies of the dowager queen stormed in.

"Her Majesty the dowager queen wanted you to be moved in the West Tower, Your Majesty," a court lady humbly said. The other servants went around and supported the queen to prepare to escort her to the tower.

"The West Tower, isn't that a bit too far from the infirmary? What if something happens to the queen? The tower is too isolated from the rest of the palace. Where is the lady physician?" Madison hurriedly asked.

"It is not your place to judge Her Majesty's decision, child. The dowager queen's orders specifically said that a servant would only accompany the queen. No physicians and certainly no escorts," the attendant snapped

Madison turned to the queen but she shook her head.

"It is fine, I can certainly manage to care for myself. If it is the dowager queen's will that I shall be moved to the west tower, then I shall go," Queen Amelia said and nodded to the servants who would escort her.

The walk towards the West Tower was a long one. It was known as the tower of death as the tower itself was surrounded by roses that were as dark as the night. The tower had a reputation for causing whoever stayed in there to meet an untimely end. The deposed king's first wife, Queen Lilith, was rumored to have jumped off the tower. Some said she was pushed. The ladies stopped at the entrance to the tower.

"Are you not going up?" Madison asked the other ladies as the queen went ahead and climbed the spiral staircase.

The ladies of the dowager queen shook their heads. "We are only escorting you to the entrance of the tower."

Madison followed her mistress upstairs. She heard the wooden door close and the shackles being placed. They locked their queen up in the tower of death as if they wished their queen harm.

The interior of the tower itself was old and rusty. It was not cleaned nor insulated, it was just a stone-cold tower.

"How dare they do this to you, my lady? How dare they disgrace you with this poor excuse of a bedroom?" Madison furiously asked.

"Do you hate me, Madison? For you are cursed to serve me: a weak-willed queen? Do you hate me for I bring this burden upon you?" Queen Amelia asked.

"Your Majesty is overthinking as always. I do not dare answer your question," Madison bowed.

"I want the truth, Madison. I considered you as my friend and I care about you as well. I will not hold it against you," the queen weakly smiled.

"I do not hate you, Your Majesty. I greatly despised you. I despised that you stood in the corner and did nothing! I despised you for not fighting your battles. I did not like the fact you let these ladies humiliate you, the mother of the nation who might be carrying the crown prince!" Madison cried. The queen stood there and was shocked by the pent-up anger Madison contained within her.

She walked towards her lady in waiting and engulfed her in an embrace. The queen's dearest ally sobbed at Amelia's shoulder. The queen did not know her lady in waiting felt this way.

"I take back my words, my lady. I did not wish to trouble you with my sentiments, and I humbly await my punishment." Madison kneeled, but the queen stood her up.

"She who speaks of the truth shall not be punished, Madison. As I had said earlier, I will not hold it against you," The fallen queen said.

* * *

Rumors started circulating after the queen was moved to the West Tower two weeks ago. The rumors were shared by court ladies and guards alike, that the queen will share the same fate of King Vikram's first wife after physicians were sent as the queen was reported to be ill.

"The physicians have not come back yet? Hasn't the queen been gravely ill already?" The kitchen maids gossiped.

"The tower of death is sucking her life force. Soon enough, Queen Amelia will end up like the late Queen Lilith. It is funny how they share the same fate," another said. The kitchen maid's superior grabbed them by the ear.

"How dare you gossip about Her Majesty? Back to your stations at once!"

* * *

The queen laid in her bed. The scene seemed like deja vu to her, however, the king was not here this time. The queen possessed a dull skin and glassy eyes, which were the effects of her deteriorating health. Sinead Starling was a gifted lady physician who was treating the queen.

"The queen's pale complexion is the result of having lower than normal red pigment in her blood, it might have been that the queen is not eating properly. It must have been the stress the queen is going through, please keep your mind at ease, Your Majesty." Sinead bowed to the queen and turned to Madison.

"I will inform the kitchens of the foods the queen should eat. The intake of protein for the queen will increase, also the foods that are rich in iron. As the queen's lady in waiting, you must oversee that the queen is eating the foods the royal pharmacy will prescribe."

Madison was wary of the physician that was sent by the dowager queen herself. She sensed that something was not right after all. Did the dowager queen change her mind?

Why would she send a physician but still keep Queen Amelia locked up in the tower?

* * *

After checking the queen's health, Sinead Starling closed the door of the queen's temporary bedroom and headed towards the dowager queen's quarters.

She opened the secret passage towards the dowager queen's quarters. It led to a doorway that was hidden behind a tapestry in Queen Isabel's room. The tapestry separated them both.

"Have you checked on her?" The unmistakable icy voice of the dowager queen was heard.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Sinead replied.

"What's the diagnosis? Did you find out what's wrong?"

"Her Majesty's pulse is irregular, but based on the accounts about the queen's health: the queen might be experiencing irregularities in her blood, Your Majesty. But I did as you asked, and gave them the wrong diagnosis. I told them she has a condition that affects the red pigment in her blood because the foods that a person who has the condition eats is harmful to the queen." Sinead said.

"Very well, the queen may have gotten off the hook with His Majesty. He might not be able to punish her, but I surely will. "


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: This chapter is edited by hptriviachamp as usual. I'm sorry if I'm not interacting much with you, this author's note is meant to clarify some of the questions you had in mind:**

 **Ian and Cara: I get this question frequently about them, asking if the king cheated on his queen. The type of monarchy they have enables them to have a harem sort of. It's different from the usual monarchy that we usually see. Ian did not voluntarily cheat on Amy, even though Cara's his mistress. Whose higher in rank or whose lower: they are equals. Can Amy be ousted as queen? Yes, she may if she did not perform her said duties: 1) rule the kingdom alongside the king with a just and impartial hand 2)provide an heir for the king. Think of the Asian monarchies, you'll get it.**

Sinead Starling was not a woman entirely lacking in principles. After stepping out of the secret passage, the lady physician went for a walk in the palace gardens.

The gardens had witnessed the history of Berasienne, both good and bad. It was also the gardens that bore witness to the downfall of certain monarchs- Queen Lilith, the former crown prince, and Queen Amelia herself.

She was just a young girl at that time but she could briefly remember what happened on that first day of spring. She remembered how the queen fell down the tower. Her mother was a nurse at that time, Sinead was happy to be with her mother that day before the tragedy of the queen's fall occurred. She remembered how the late queen was so kind. But what struck her the most is how the crown prince cried in agony for his deceased mother. She tried to comfort Prince Charles that day, but he was just too devastated by it.

Lady Isabel became queen after Queen Lilith was buried. In less than a month, the late queen was already forgotten in history.

Sinead stared at the West Tower in shame. It was once a tower that overlooked Berasienne's beautiful scenery. The tower was now tainted with lies and laid forgotten.

May the queen forgive her for what she was about to do. It has to be done, her family's name must be cleared.

Her mother's name must be cleared. She lived long enough just to tell Sinead everything and the next day, her mother died in shame.

Her feet led her to the library where her younger brothers worked as scholar-officials.

"Have you already finished the medical books I recommended?"

She spun around and saw her younger brother: Ted. She smiled weakly at him and he led her to the private sitting area. Ned was waiting for her there.

"It must have been hard for you, isn't it? To go against what Mother has taught us?" Ted asked.

Sinead shook her head.

"We must clear their names, our mother, and the former crown prince. I do not wish to harm the quee-" Ned quickly covered his sister's lips and scanned the area for intruders.

"Please keep your voice low, sister. The queen's brother started working here a few weeks ago and he might hear you." Ted told his sister with a cautious voice.

"I will not stop. The dowager queen and her family have caused all of this. There must be a life for a life: a crown prince for a crown prince, a queen for a queen. The Kabras must fall. Think of it as me sparing the queen from being hurt. I would gladly kill her just to spare her."

"Have you lost your mind? How could the hands of a physician who heals people can intentionally kill their patients? Mother would have whipped you if she heard you say that," Ned shot at his sister angrily.

"Are you jealous that the queen was able to rule when you only became the crown princess and was dethroned the next day?" Ted added and his sister stared at him silently. The memories of the first spring surged back at her.

She closed her eyes tightly as she remembered how they were wronged. The Lucian monarchy must pay for what they did to the deposed queen.

* * *

A young servant named Victoria trudged the stairs of the West Tower. She was left with no choice to be the one to bring the queen's food.

The other kitchen servants refused to go up the tower because of that blasted rumor that the queen might be gravely ill. Victoria was left to carry the whole tray on her own. She knocked on the door and the queen's lady in waiting led her inside.

The queen was sitting by the window reading a book. Victoria could see that the queen was not in a good state. She scanned her surroundings and noticed that there was little to no insulation as the room certainly felt cold.

"The food is ready, my lady. You should eat your supper before it gets cold." Madison asked.

The queen stood up and walked towards the table where the food was laid out. The queen silently ate her food but after a few spoonfuls, she already refused. Madison sighed.

"My lady, how could you eat so little?"

The queen shook her head in resignation. She turned to the servant who brought her food:

"Can I bother you to do something for me?" The queen asked.

She stood up and grabbed the letter by her bedside. Victoria was handed the letter.

"Take this to Captain Holt, he'll know what to do."

* * *

King Ian stared at the tower while he was out by the royal pavilion. The tower was still surrounded by black roses. He walked out of the castle because he could not think clearly. His gaze traveled to his fist and they were clenching without him noticing. He was worried about his queen.

He did not notice Hamilton who reported to his side.

"A letter for you, Your Majesty. It is from the queen herself..."

Ian was handed the letter and he broke the seal. He expected that she would pour all of her sentiments to her. Asking her to take back his mother's order. He expected her to manipulate him once more.

 _Ian,_  
 _Do not worry about me, and tend to your people. I am fine, so do not walk out from court when you feel stressed. I deliver my sentiments throughout the wind, the innocent moon shall bear witness to the raging storm in your mind. Please be well and be a king that everyone will look up to. I shall see you soon._

The letter was not signed, and Ian looked up to the tower once more and saw the queen in the stone terrace. She gave him a weak smile and nodded. The king's mind finally was at ease. Ian breathed a sigh of relief and held the letter tightly. By the time he looked up again, she vanished.

"Do you wish to visit Her Majesty?" Hamilton asked.

"No, it's just- You won't understand, Hamilton. My hands are tied up after what happened last time. I should be careful not to succumb to her clutches. Her letter must have been an act." He crumpled the letter and threw it to the ground.

Hamilton resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He could see that the king is worried about the queen and does a horrible way of hiding it.

How could the king be so daft?

"What about the Tricentennial Ball? Will Her Majesty attend it, sire? It is the day after tomorrow," Hamilton asked once more.

"She must attend. She is the mother of the nation, it may spark unrest if she was not present. We'll just act like nothing happened, even if I don't want to see her..." Ian trailed off.

* * *

Hamilton hiked up the stairs of the west tower, by the time he was at the top: he was already out of breath. He slowly knocked on the door.

"Brother? Isn't it a bit late?" Madison whispered as he let her brother in. Hamilton shivered once the chilly air came in contact with his skin. Did the room even have insulation?

"May I speak with Her Majesty?"

"Queen Amelia is already resting, brother. I shall relay your message, I could not wake up the queen for her sleep patterns were irregular," Madison said as they sat at the table.

"The queen has to attend the Tricentennial Ball, and we will all act as if nothing could happen."

Madison sighed and look at her queen who was sleeping peacefully.

"The last time we attended the ball, the queen fainted. Who knows what will happen now? I heard unrest is stirring in the north," Madison pointed out.

"The security of the royal family is our number one priority, everything is cleared," Hamilton said. He brought up the subject of the room.

"How can you bear the cold air here? No wonder the physicians were summoned here, the queen could have caught a cold. I will inform His Majesty to let the queen return to her chambers."

Madison scoffed in return.

"If he was concerned about his wife, he should at least checked in her welfare. A different physician was sent instead of the physician who took care of Queen Amelia's health, he just proves that he does not care about her."

"Madison Holt! Watch your words." Hamilton warned, but the realization hit him about Madison's statement.

"The queen was sent a different physician?" He asked.

"It was the Starling girl who went here not the queen's physician. I certainly know that she was the one who took care of the dowager queen's health." Madison said.

"Why would the dowager queen's physician was the one that was sent here?" Hamilton asked warily. Madison shook her head.

* * *

The Tricentennial Ball was to take place in the evening. A parade was held in the morning in Berasienne. It was the day the royal family was obliged to go out of the castle and to be seen by their people.

Amelia squirmed as she was assisted on top of the horse by the Holt siblings. She gripped the reins tightly. Hamilton was the one guiding the horse and Madison trailed behind them. The guards stepped out of the gates first followed by the king and Amelia herself. The dowager queen and Natalia rode a carriage, and Lady Cara was also with them.

The citizens of Berasienne gathered outside to see them. The queen was touched by how the citizens loved them. Wreath of flowers was given to them, a child stepped forward and presented a flower crown onto Hamilton.

"Please give this to Her Majesty the queen." She beamed up at him, and Hamilton took it. The queen leaned in as Hamilton placed it on the crown of her head. Ian watched warily in the distance.

The parade traveled on and there were no interruptions. They passed by a deserted street on the way back to the palace. Arrows started flying in, and everyone was ushered to safety. Ian jumped off the horse, ad the carriage blinds were placed. The queen tried to calm the horse down, to avoid the arrow: the queen fell off the horse and was sprawled on the pavement.

"Your Majesty!" Madison cried to follow the queen but was grabbed by Hamilton in the shoulder. The king reverted his gaze on his queen who was still a target for the bandits. He tried to make a move towards his queen.

"Your Majesty, it's too dangerous to run after the queen! You might get hurt!" The guards restrained him but Ian shrugged it off.

"Do you want me to watch how my queen could die in there? Do you even hear yourself? Will you take responsibility if the queen is hurt?" King Ian said as he gripped the guard by his collar. The king let him be and rushed towards his queen.

He enveloped the queen in his arms to protect her. The queen was taken aback by his actions. The king dragged her to safety but Amelia still wouldn't budge.

"Are you alright?" The king asked.

"I am not hurt, Your Majesty. I'm just shaken about what happened, I should be fine." Amelia said as her eyes were downcast to the ground.

The king did not agree with her statement, however. He held her chin and slowly looked into her jade eyes.

"I insist that a physician should check on you," Ian insisted, Amelia got out of his arms and did not face him.

"I'm fine-" Ian cut her off and held her wrist,

"How can you be fine after falling off the horse? I command you to obey me, as your king."

In the distance, Hamilton stood by his sister watching the two royals.

"If there was something the king is worse at, it is hiding his feelings. One day he's rambling about the queen manipulating him, now he's suddenly concerned about her," Hamilton chuckled and Madison whacked him at the head.

"Watch your words, dear brother. Someone might hear you and accuse you of treason. Regarding those two, let's just sit back and watch. It's going to be interesting."

* * *

The incident was forgotten as the ball commenced in the evening. Amelia sat on her throne as the festivities took place, she was just not in the mood for celebrating right now.

The earlier events had robbed the queen of the festive spirit. The arrows greatly bothered her. Who were they targeting? Who are they working for?

Millions of questions plagued the young queen's mind. She could not care less that Cara was the one dancing with the king.

"What are you thinking that you haven't noticed me approach you, Ames?" Daniel appeared by her side.

"Nothing," she quietly said.

"I heard you fell off from the horse? Are you okay?" Daniel asked sincerely.

The troubled queen sighed.

"I'll leave you alone, you seem to be troubled enough already. Enjoy the night, Your Majesty."

Amelia was left alone watching the festivities in boredom. The world seemed much duller than before. Every second passed like a blur to her.

"You are missing the life of the festivities, Your Majesty," Hamilton said and offered his hand "Shall we dance?" he offered.

The queen's eyes had an element of surprise as Hamilton awaited her reply. After a while, the queen's frown turned into a smile and she accepted his hand. Whispers broke out at the entire ballroom as Hamilton, who was a mere Captain of the royal guards led the queen for a dance.

The queen felt uneasy as she felt the eyes of the public watching her every move. Hamilton placed her hand on his shoulder and he snaked his arms around her waist. The queen's eyes never dared to leave the ground, and Hamilton led the queen to dance.

The king watched in a safe distance while Natalia and Lady Cara were chatting about crown jewels. He scanned the crowd and saw their reactions. There were looks of pure disgust on their faces, and Amelia was unaware of it. Something was stirring in him, it felt like fire surged his heart. He clenched his fist and he sighed deeply.

He walked towards them and tapped Amelia's shoulder. Looking into her eyes he said:

"May I cut in?"

The queen stepped back from Hamilton and bowed to him. She stumbles back and Ian caught her by the wrist.

"As much as I wanted to dance with His Majesty, forgive me but I feel tired already. If you may excuse me." Amelia walked away from the two gentlemen.

She only danced once. How could she be tired already? Ian thought.

He looked at Hamilton who shook his head and returned to guarding the area. The king was left alone in the middle of the ballroom.

* * *

Amelia quickly changed her gown to a more common dress. She removed the traces of the ball with a washcloth. Slipping on her shoes, she hurried down from the tall tower.

She scanned the area if there were other people besides her.

There seemed none after all.

The queen reached the gate that was hidden well in the castle garden's walls. As she was about to push it open,

"Where do you think you are going?" A man roared.

Amelia spun around and was faced to face with Hamilton and the king himself.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: I'm sorry for making you wait for two weeks! My whole schedule seemed to be jam-packed as I get frequently busy during the quarantine. I'm going back for training in ballet and have ongoing seminars for journalism. I also got sick, when you get sick during the pandemic, it is usually a big deal. Do not worry, I am not infected and certainly doing fine. It is the heat( our temperature is a whopping 43 degrees celsius) and the frequent changes of temperature. This chapter again is edited by hptriviachamp, I owe it to her that even if I turned it in late, she's a patient beta reader. So read and review, so I know you are all still there.**

Upon realizing who the two men were, Amelia ignored them and continued walking. The king and his guard followed her outside the palace.

"Amelia, are you avoiding me?" Ian asked, catching up to the queen.

The queen ignored him, making the king lose his composure. When he could not bear it, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him.

"Answer me, love. Do you despise me? Is that why you lied and said you were tired?"

The queen pulled away from a confused Ian and did not speak. The walk was quite long, Hamilton distanced himself from the royal couple to give them privacy but reasonable to protect them if necessary.

The queen led them where the common folk lived. Once he realized where they were, Ian turned to Amelia who bore a neutral expression.

"How dare you disgrace the king by bringing me to where the common people live?" Ian asked harshly.

"How is mingling with your subjects brought disgrace upon you? You can leave if you want." Amelia countered. Hamilton tried to keep a straight face with the royal couple bickering like kids.

Hamilton realized that the queen had been breaking several protocols as it seemed that she was sneaking out several times already. It was unknown if Madison knew about it or not.

The queen seemed acquainted with the common folk, though they do not know her real identity. The common folk welcomed them with open arms, Hamilton expected them to do the opposite instead.

He could see that she was happy and truly cares for her subjects. How did a scheming country like Berasienne could be blessed with a benevolent queen like her?

The queen caught his gaze and smiled at her guard. Her radiant face shone in the pale moonlight. A feast was held outside, the two men reluctantly followed the disguised queen.

The two men were in awe on how people could be content with a simple feast. Feasts were usually extravagant and lacked a real joyous aura.

How could people be happy without material things?

"Are you just going to stand there?" Amelia said with her arms crossed. The king and the captain exchanged glances.

King Ian watched how his wife tended to the little peasant child. She gently blew a spoonful of porridge before feeding it to the young child. Spoon clad in hand, Ian attempted to reenact it by taking a spoonful of porridge and turning to the young child."

"Ah, this is tasty- open your mouth," he said rather monotonously. Glancing at his side, the captain also struggled with the given task as he gave the spoon to the child himself. Amelia caught their eyes and sighed. She stood up and walked towards them. Turning to the king, Amelia gave him an ax.

"Are you wishing that I should cut off your head for your impudence?" Ian asked, tongue-in-cheek.

"You go and chop off some firewood, it's getting chilly in here."

The young king scoffed at his wife's orders. He turned to Hamilton but the guard avoided eye contact. Momentarily losing his composure, he turned to her and awkwardly smiled.

"Can I bring Captain Holt with me?" he asked.

"No," the queen said rather placidly.

The king turned to Hamilton once again, fearing the king's wrath: Hamilton turned to the queen.

"Cant I help His Majesty?" he asked, but once the queen gave him a look he already took back his words. "Never mind," he muttered.

The queen shooed Ian away who held an ax. When she wasn't looking, Ian stared murderously at her as he gripped the ax. Hamilton tried not to laugh once the king started chopping some wood for the fire. feeling sympathy for the king, he hurried over to the disguised queen.

"I think you are overdoing it, Your Majesty," he said once they were out of the king's earshot. The queen turned to him with an innocent expression.

"What do you mean?" she asked and Hamilton sighed in defeat. Looking towards the king he said to her:

"The king might have been good with knowledge and intellect, but please remember he was raised with servants waiting at his beck and call." Hamilton pointed out.

The queen remained silent and sat on a nearby rock. Hamilton dared not to disturb her as she was deep in thought. The firewood was suddenly dropped next to her, and Amelia faced to face with an irate king.

"Are you content that you are mocking me in this peasant area? What stupid thing will you make me do next?" the king spat but Amelia remained calm despite the king's temper pouring out.

"I did that to teach you a lesson," she said.

"A lesson? What lesson do you wish to teach me by chopping off firewood and feeding a peasant child? I am a king, Amelia-" he scoffed but was cut off by the queen.

"-Yes, you are a king. As a king of this country, you must learn that the nobles are not your only subjects. Did you even remember what I said to you during selections, that you are the one person that these people you call peasants cherish? They celebrated the tricentennial even if there has been a purging of your citizens. I told you to rule with a just and impartial hand," Amelia pointed out.

"Then I would have not spared you," Ian said quietly. He looked into the compassionate jade orbs that pleaded him once to spare her. The eyes he had given into.

"I would have slain you for being treacherous towards the crown. I rule this way because I do not want the people who I cherish to be caught in the web of lies of the Berasienne court. That would have been the price of ruling with a just and impartial hand. What do you know about being a king?" he questioned and Amelia shook her head.

"I might not have been born a prince and been taught how to run a kingdom. You might think that I am being harsh to you but I just wanted you to see how Berasienne is without the bias of being a royal. I wanted you to care, Ian. These are your people, and you are the father of the nation, what kind of father wishes to drag their children to death? How long will you be like this?"

The king fell silent upon hearing his wife's words. as her words started sinking in, the king shoved past her and angrily went back to the palace. Hamilton turned to the solemn queen.

"You might have knocked him down a peg or two. Steer clear of the king for a while in order not to face his wrath, Your majesty. It is getting late, Queen Amelia. You might as well come back to the palace," Hamilton said and the queen made her way back quietly.

Running after the king, she grabbed him by the elbow and looked at him. The king resisted her grip but Amelia stood her ground.

"What is your problem?" She asked furiously.

"It is none of your business!" Ian shot and tried to avoid her.

"Is this because I refused to dance with you?" Amelia asked and he was silent. She inhaled sharply as the king unwillingly admitted it through his silence.

"You let the guard dance with you and the crowd was staring at you. I had to cut in but you completely rejected me. You said your tired but you dared to sneak out," he grumbled and Amelia burst out laughing. The king was pissed that Amelia was treating him this way.

"Who are you to laugh at the nation's king?" Ian asked.

"I never expected you to be jealous, Your Majesty." Amelia countered. The hot-tempered king stared furiously at his queen.

"I am not!" He denied but Amelia was laughing like she had the time of her life, the king let it be.

"How dare you mock your king?" Ian said, even as his hands caressed her waist.

"I am your queen," she grinned and leaned in to whisper, "It was nice to see you jealous so that I know still you care about me."

* * *

Amelia was woken up by Madison in the wee hours of the morning. The queen groggily pulled herself out of bed and Madison led her to the washroom.

"Why do I have to get out this early?" she sleepily muttered. Madison sent an apologetic glance to her mistress.

"The king's attendant told me that His Majesty will be bringing you to court all day long. King Ian goes to court very early, Your Majesty."

The queen did not reply and Madison tried extremely hard to keep her awake but Amelia seemed to doze off every single time. After the queen got dressed, food was placed in front of her and she ate little portions of it. After some time Madison led her down the tower.

"Please do not doze off, my lady. It is improper to do so," Madison said softly.

"Improper... I was abruptly woken up in the wee hours of the morning, how do you expect me to react?" Amelia scoffed.

In front of the palace, a carriage awaited them. Amelia gripped her shawls tighter in the chilly weather outside the warm palace. The footman bowed to the queen in recognition.

"His Majesty will be down shortly, you can go ahead, Your Majesty."

Before the queen could board the carriage, the king strode down the marble steps leading to the palace grounds. Hamilton came soon after and will ride his horse behind the carriage.

"You may be dismissed, Madison. The queen will not need you for the day."

"Why is he so harsh all of a sudden?" Amelia murmured.

* * *

The royal court of Berasienne has situated a separate building from the palace itself. It is to differentiate the affairs of the palace and the court itself. The palace was the residence of the king and the royal family itself, it is also the belle of the galas held historically. The royal court held the same extravagance of the palace but was formally used for state affairs that should be differentiated from the inner palace itself.

Since it was early in the morning, there was not a lot of people in the royal court. Amelia tried to keep up with the king's pace in the deserted hallway leading towards his study. Once they were in the king's study, Amelia sat down and grabbed a book to past time. Time seemed to stand still as the king and queen kept the silent treatment going on. Ian sneaked a glance towards his wife who was immersed in her book. Bearing the silence no more, he broke the silence between them.

"You will not stay here and be idle, but rather, you will accompany me towards the royal court. You will learn how to run this kingdom as I will soon go away for the war. I hope you will not let me down." Ian said.

They came to the royal court soon after. Amelia was stared at by the nobles, perhaps because they had not seen her for six months after she freed the child who stole the bread. It has caused quite a stir back then and Ian did not let her attend court for a while.

"Do you think I could do it?" Amelia asked suddenly.

"Of course, you certainly had the guts to boss me around- this would be easy for you." Ian chuckled and looked into her jade orbs.

* * *

The day passed by in a haze, and before she knew it, Amelia and the courtiers were accompanying the king to the palace gates where the soldiers awaited him.

"I would pray for your safe return, Your Majesty. Please take care of your health." Lady Cara said. The king ignored her, instead turning to Hamilton.

"Are you certain that you are not going?" Ian asked hoping to change Captain Holt's mind.

"I swore to protect the queen and stay by her side, Your Majesty. She might need me more," Hamilton bowed. The king felt a tad jealous that Hamilton got the excuse to be with his queen, but he could not.

"It is time, Your Majesty." the general said. The king walked towards his queen and kissed her on the lips. The queen had little time to react to the king's sudden display of intimacy and she wrapped an arm around him.

"Take care and try your best not to get poisoned," he joked once he pulled away. The king and queen shared a light-hearted laugh. Moving towards the Lady Cara, he gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

Then he mounted on his horse and smiled at Amelia. Turning to Hamilton he gave a curt nod and his eyes were telling the king that he'll keep the queen safe. It was the beginning of a new era itself. Little did the king know, once he gets home the tables had turned.

* * *

Berasienne was the center of everything: power, money, and talent. While the nobles flourished with power and wealth, some people did not exactly experience it. People suffered under the reign of the Kabras for a very long time. Wars were a frequent matter now and then, though the nobles weren't affected rather than the common people were.

The die was cast. The country of Berasienne was wounded enough, and the people began realizing the truth about the Kabras tyranny towards them. There had been hope, however, when Ian ascended the throne and they expected him not to be like his father.

They were disappointed though.

Riots continued in the cities, even as the royal family shrugged off. Riots about taxes, food, and equality compromised the first year of the young king's reign. But what tarnished it the most was the purge of the first snow.

It was the last straw for some of the common people of Berasienne. Some lost their families during the first snow. They had lost their lives just being brave enough to plea to the king.

Those people were shot to death.

The common people were unfortunate to suffer such fate. Justice was only served to those who had a high social standing and those who came from wealthy families.

It has been two months and a half since the incident of the first snow. The wounds were still fresh as the people tried celebrating the tricentennial without remembering the events leading up to it.

The people began rebelling, for once they knew they were fighting for what is right. With an alleged sign given in an anonymous painting, the common folk knew that the heavens did not forsake them. The day would come that their tears would run dry and no longer flow from their eyes. They would shout with full courage that they are free from the darkest of tyrannies.

* * *

Amelia eyed the lush greenery in the plain moonlight. She tiredly rubbed her eyes as case after case was bombarded to her. Being queen regent wasn't an easy job, as she was required to rule while the king is away at the war front.

"Your tea, Your Majesty," Madison bowed as the queen accepted the cup of chamomile tea and slowly sipped it.

Her mind slowly drifted off and slowly yawned. Stretching her arms, the queen fought to stay focused. Chamomile tea has taken its effect on the young exhausted queen.

By the time she has woken up, the sun was only high up. Madison was also shaking her awake which alarmed the young queen.

"It is time for the royal court to be in session, my lady. They are already waiting for you there." Madison said urgently and ushered the queen to the courtroom. to the persons who happen to pass by the queen who was forcing herself not to fall asleep certainly knew that she was already exhausted beyond all means.

"All rise for Her Majesty the Queen Regent." the people bowed to the queen regent as the queen regent made her presence known. She briefly regained composure on the way to the courtroom and was presentable enough to face the nobles. The nobleman eyed her with deep scrutiny.

"Just make it brief and concise. I don't want to hear long arguments that will only lead to one point," Amelia said.

The day started on, as usual, the two parties would bicker about whose property should belong to this and that. It made Amelia's head hurt and if it wasn't for Hamilton patiently waiting by her side, she would have fallen asleep in court already.

"Enough," she simply said. The two opposing parties gawked at her. Having witnessed enough, the queen stood up and faced her subjects.

"There is a matter I wished to address to you all, the monarchy does not usually interfere with the matters of the state. For many years, the state gives a fund to monasteries and gladly supports them: but I am alarmed on how some friars lived. Some of them chose to drink alcohol in broad daylight while the common folk suffered without food. Is that how they chose to spend their fund coming from the crown?"

Whispers broke out in the crowd as the queen regent finished her statement. The nobleman was astounded on how a mere woman dared to interfere with the matter of the church, as she was not even king. Minister Pierce took a calculated step and faced the queen regent.

"Your Majesty, it is not the place of the sovereign to meddle with the affairs of the church. For three hundred years, we, the state, left them alone. It is to remain this way, and as the prime minister and royal advisor, I recommend you to leave this matter alone-" he looked into the queen regent directly and broke out in a faint smile "-If you do not wish to be ousted out as the queen."

The queen did not heed the minister's remark and stood her ground. She fearlessly looked into the scrutinous eyes of the crowd and did not back down. Ian gave her the right to rule, the queen had decided it save the kingdom from falling into something they could not come back from.

"I have seen the situation of the world outside. What have you been telling my husband that he seems naive of what lies beyond the palace walls? You are his council of royal advisors, so has every report been a fabricated lie?" Amelia bravely questioned.

"Your Majesty! Are you accusing us of misleading the His Majesty the King?"

The court was in an uproar, every nobleman was pleading to their queen. The court was deep in chaos and Amelia just stood there. Fed up with the nobles striking up against her, the queen slapped her hand on the table. She withdrew it as it stung pretty badly.

"Silence!" Amelia bellowed and the crowd was shunned to a complete pause. "I will try to right the wrong, but how can you plead to me to let the matter go? This is a serious matter. The church is an embodiment of divinity and solidarity, will you let the people see drunken friars that ruin the image of the church?" Amelia added.

The session was adjourned. The queen regent prepared to leave and was passing by the door, she heard:

"She is impossible, what will Berasienne be after a month without the king?"

"Let us just hope the king will be back soon."

* * *

The ladies-in-waiting system served as a ladder of hierarchy for ladies rather than a way to act as confidants of the queen. It was more of who had the power, and those who landed into the position of the queen's lady in waiting had the power to themselves.

"Her Majesty began shaking the royal court earlier, I heard the ministers grumbling about it," Adelaide, one of the Lucian ladies in waiting of the queen said.

"Then what will happen to Her Majesty? Does it mean it is over for the queen?" A lady in waiting named Lilian asked.

"Soon enough, Lady Cara will have all the power," another woman with brown hair gossiped.

"She just can't stand that men rule us, no matter how right she can be. She is just a woman and we are just meant to warm the bed for men," Caroline, the queen's supposed chief lady-in-waiting said.

Madison, who had chosen to play deaf to the ladies-in-waiting's gossip, stood up and faced the ladies. Raising an eyebrow at them, she came to defend her mistress' side.

"Have you finally decided to switch sides? You were kissing the floor she walked on when she was crowned queen," Madison countered.

"Madison Holt, you shouldn't talk out of all people. You are just the queen's loyal lapdog who acts like the queen's chief lady-in-waiting, where you are just a lowly palace maid," Adelaide scoffed.

Madison scoffed ad edged towards Caroline who was supposed to be the chief lady-in-waiting who should have been at the queen's side all along.

"It is not my fault that I was the only one not attempting to use the queen for one's power and influence," Madison grabbed ahold of the chief lady-in-waiting's hair. "If I catch you badmouthing Her Majesty again, I won't be forgiving." She added and then released Caroline's hair from her tight grip.

"What's going on?"

The ladies spun around and Amelia came into the view. The ladies bowed to her in respect. Madison scoffed inwardly at the ladies' sudden turn of sides.

"So what did I hear about a woman being just a man's bed warmer?" Amelia asked indifferently and she cocked her head to the side. "I am your queen, and you are just my subjects. Do not test my power and never tempt my fury."

She turned around and Madison followed her to her chambers. Madison could have sworn to see that the queen has slowly aged by the dark circles under her eyes.

"My queen, about earlier..." Madison trailed off.

"Let them be," she simply smiled at her lady-in-waiting. "I have heard far more than those remarks, but I will never let them bother me."


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: I'm back once more! Forgive me if there are times that I am running late in uploading. My brain currently going into quarantine syndrome, I've been in quarantine since the 15th of March, and its certainly driving me crazy. This chapter, as always is edited by hptriviachamp. Without further ado, I present to you the next chapter.**

Though she was a woman, Amelia proved herself to be a benevolent queen after all. She kept in touch with her husband through letters and consulted with him on a pressing issue: child labor.

The queen's heart broke when she saw young children work in a workhouse, one she was visiting along with some nobles. It was a sight she did not want to see. Children stood near the fire and put firewood into the old fashioned machine. A child ran in her direction but tripped amid the working chaos. The queen separated herself from her entourage and edged towards the young child. She stood the young child up and the child shyly looked away from the queen.

"Are you alright?" Amelia asked sincerely.

The queen took a handkerchief from her pocket and dipped it in clear water. She cleaned the soot off the child's face and Madison tried to approach her.

"Your Majesty, it is time to go," Madison said.

Amelia let go of the child and the child clumsily curtsied to the queen. The queen looked up and saw the children doing things that they should not be doing. The queen sighed heavily and Madison guided the exhausted queen out of the factories.

"Why are young children are stationed near the fire? What if they get hurt?" Amelia asked.

"It is to be that way, Your Majesty. Young children are small enough to get into places where we cannot. They serve their purpose and are humble workers for the sovereign," the owner said confidently.

"Are you daft? How could you be so careless to let children near the fire? They are children for heaven's sake and children are meant to be playing and certainly not working in a factory!" Amelia shot furiously. The nobles stepped forward and faced the irate queen regent.

"The children are paid to work, Your Majesty. It is the only way they do not starve," one nobleman said.

Amelia, however, did not choose to back down and firmly stood her ground

"I will be temporarily closing this workhouse until all children are cleared. It will only resume its operations if you find suitable grown adults to do the job." The queen regent turned around to prepare to go back to the palace. Once reaching the comfort of her chambers, the queen collapsed to a nearby chair in exhaustion.

"Your Majesty, please take it easy. You might collapse in your condition," a worried Madison said.

The queen's eyes fell upon the sealed letters upon her bedside. Madison handed her the letters and the queen eagerly opened it.

"It came earlier this morning, Your Majesty. It is from the battlefront and King Ian wishes to inquire about the court and yourself."

The queen slowly opened the folded piece of parchment that revealed the King's elegant script. A wave of calmness passed her as she saw the familiar script of her husband.

How are you doing, love?  
I hope you are well and not confined to the sickbed. You have caused quite a ruckus, especially as nobles began sending me letters of complaint. It is a slow process, love. I wish that you are in good health and ruling Berasienne the way you want. I have faith in you that you can handle the royal court but please do not overwork yourself. Captain Holt is there for a reason, he's there to scold you if you are placing the weight of the world on your shoulders.

You might have been shaking the royal court with your Uncle Fiske as your advisor but I put my trust on you. Do not worry if you disappoint me, it is my choice to trust you, and proving me wrong is your decision. I know you can do this, Amelia, I believe in you. I will be home before you realize it. Please be in good health as I won't be there to stay by your bedside at all times.

The letter brought a smile upon the queen's face and Madison was relieved that the busy queen was smiling for once. Though Madison did not know the contents of the letter, it was certainly enough to cheer the queen up.

A lady in waiting entered the queen's chambers and paid respects to Amelia. The queen regent straightened up upon her arrival.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen Regent, a young scholar-official named Daniel Cahill awaits you in your drawing-room."

"I shall meet my brother if there are no hindrances according to my schedule," the queen turned to her trusted lady in waiting and Madison nodded.

"You may be dismissed, Adelaide," Amelia added before leaving towards her private drawing-room attached near her chambers.

Daniel Cahill could have sworn his sister had greatly aged when he saw her walk through those doors. He could see that his sister was exhausted by the amount of work placed at her shoulders. He thought she had bitten off more than she can chew. His sister sat down in front of him and they caught up like the old times.

"You seem like you haven't slept since the king left for the battlefront," Daniel said apprehensively as he eyed his sister from head to toe.

"That is somewhat of an exaggeration, Daniel," the queen weakly smiled as she slowly drank her tea.

They shared a lighthearted laugh but Daniel did not let the issue down. Taking his sister's delicate hands, he slowly squeezed it.

"I'm worried, Ames. You should not be doing this all by yourself, you are a woman for god's sake."

Amelia eyed her brother and raised an eyebrow at his statement.

"Just because I am a woman, that does not mean I cannot lead a country. I am not weak, dear brother," Amelia said firmly.

The queen might have mistaken her brother's statement as a word of doubt, but Daniel was extremely worried about his sister's well-being. Judging by her physical conditions at present, he certainly knew she was doing too much.

"It is not like that, Ames. I've been inquiring about your health from the royal apothecary. They told me you have a condition that affects the red pigment of your blood and that puts you in a vulnerable position. Amelia, your entourage seems worried enough."

Amelia fell silent upon her brother's words. She sighed deeply and let her gaze travel down to the multiple papers that piled unto her desk.

"Let me remind you that you are not just a queen, Ames. You are my sister before being the queen of this land. I hope you take care of yourself, Your Majesty," Daniel stood up and bowed to her one last time before taking his leave. Amelia sat there dumbfounded.

* * *

In the next meeting which was after luncheon, Amelia found herself staring at an empty court. There was no one around other than the queen regent's entourage themselves. The sounds of silence rang inside the royal court.

"They are striking against you, Your Majesty," Hamilton remarked as Amelia turned to her Uncle Fiske.

"Do not be alarmed, Your Majesty. The court simply does this to show that they are disagreeing with you." Fiske Cahill coaxed the anxious queen.

The double doors opened and several ministers and scholar-officials stepped inside with their mourning clothes. With Minister Pierce leading them, the court had turned the tables on the queen. The officials were wailing their protests and Amelia could have sworn that she saw triumph in the Prime Minister's eyes.

It made her blood boil.

"Isn't that..." Madison trailed off,

"A wailing march, it was also the same tactic used to dethrone King Vikram before. I never thought I lived to see this day" Hamilton finished his sister's sentence.

"How dare they," Amelia spat and her delicate hands balled into fists. Her chest rose and fell very quickly as she tried to contain her anger.

"We cannot serve beneath a woman, much more that she is a former slave to the Kromiyan Empire herself."

"Dethrone the queen!" A noble shouted amidst the crowd. It struck Amy as ironic that they were called nobles but acted anything but that.

"How can this woman rule a country when she is incompetent? She dares to interfere with the matters of the church while previous kings have not!"

Amelia scanned the crowd of ministers and scholar-officials. A certain scholar caught her eye and it caused Amelia to be overwhelmed. Her brother was standing amidst the crowd that wanted to take her down. The queen felt like she was being stabbed in the back multiple times. Daniel Cahill caught her eye and looked away.

Do not falter, Amelia. Be a bigger person and do not stoop to their level, The queen regent thought.

The queen made the safest decision made and walked out of the court. She did not want to face her subjects when she was about to blow off her steam. The livid queen entered the king's study where she held formal audiences. Sensing that the prime minister followed behind her, she stopped in her tracks.

"Are you happy now?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Minister Pierce gave her a calculating look. Tension filled the atmosphere of the king's study and those who were in the king's study knew that this was not going to end well. Madison didn't dare to coax the livid queen.

"I only want what's the best for Berasienne, Your Majesty. I will be frank with you, Amelia. The royal court is not about equality, it is a display of power and what it takes to keep it with you. I dare to reply to your question with impudence: yes, I am happy."

The queen's entourage was astounded on how the prime minister addressed their queen. Madison was restrained by her brother who told her not to interfere. The queen's dearest ally was somehow the voice of the queen and was rather protective of her docile mistress.

"The council of advisors is here to guide your every move. We do not want you to stray from the path you are meant to walk on like a queen regent. Yes, you are a queen and a regent who rules in her own right but there are limitations to the extent of your power. The council realizes that you are incompetent and what do we do with the incompetent? We get rid of the weak link."

Amelia spun around to face the prime minister who dared to speak that she was incompetent. Staring into him with a hollow gaze and letting her anger out, she said:

"I may not be raised in court, Minister Pierce. I may lack experience since I was enslaved by the Kromiyan Empire but I am certainly not incompetent! I do not have the training and I am certainly trying my best to keep Berasienne running," Amelia shot as she tried to keep her tears from falling from her eyes.

Sensing the queen was upset, Hamilton stepped forward to break the tension.

"I think you have stepped over the line, Minister Pierce," Hamilton argued but it was already too late as the queen stormed out of the king's study. He did not have the heart to follow the queen after what she had been through. Madison looked at him worriedly as the queen clearly shown them that she was to be left alone.

* * *

Amelia gripped the reins of her horse tighter as she sought to reach the outskirts of Berasienne despite the heavy rainfall. After she walked out on her entourage and Minister Pierce, the queen had darted straight to the stables to go off for a ride. She was nearing the ruins of the Cahill Castle when she realized that she was heading towards the military headquarters of their army. A soldier halted the queen as she drew near.

"I'm afraid that this area is off-limits to civilians, young lady."

"I am here to see His Majesty, young squire," Amelia said without taking off her cloak. The soldier, however, stood firm.

"You must one of the ladies who are obsessed with the King even if he is already married. Well, sod off, young woman, there are rumors the queen is already bearing the future crown prince," the young soldier scoffed.

Amelia rolled her eyes and pulled down the hood of her cloak. She noticed that the soldier was unfazed, perhaps he did not recognize their queen?

"Do you know who I am?" Amelia snapped.

"You are one of those noblewomen who would fall over themselves for the king. How could I not recognize you?" The soldier drawled. Amelia would have punished him for his lack of politeness had Major General Kleister not chosen to pass by in that exact moment and recognize the queen. Kneeling on one knee, the major general bowed to the irritated queen regent.

"Greetings Your Majesty, what brings you here?"

The soldier remained dumbfounded as the major general assisted the queen regent off the horse. The queen regent shook her head.

"I wish to see His Majesty," Amelia said.

"His Majesty is at the battlefront, Queen Amelia. He merely took a walk to inspect it one more time. Please get inside the tent, Your Majesty. You might catch a cold," Major General Kleister said.

The soldier fell onto his knees and begged the queen.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I did not mean to be so impudent to Her Majesty," The soldier said humbly.

"It is fine, young squire. Do young women lust after my husband that much?" The queen said amused.

"Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty, and so I dare to reply to Her Majesty, yes, young ladies find the king to be attractive."

The queen regent waited and waited for her king to return. She slowly dozed off while waiting for the king. The moment she woke up, Amelia was at the king's arms and wrapped in the solitude of blankets.

"Your Majesty," Amelia acknowledged her king.

"What so urgent that you did not bother the rain and bringing guards along with you?" the king questioned.

The queen turned away and Ian could hear her sniffling. He instantly knew something was wrong. The king gently pulled her towards him to face him. The queen hid her face with her hands.

"Why are you hiding your face from me?" Ian asked sympathetically.

"You hate to see me weep and I do not wish to bring my discomfort to you in this situation." The king did not listen to his wife and stared at her seriously.

"Tell me," Ian said but he was surprised when his queen clung to him in grief. He slowly patted the back of the distressed queen.

"Permission to cry, Your Majesty." Amelia hiccuped.

"Go ahead, take your time to let it all out," Ian whispered at her ear. He did not expect her to openly sob in his arms. Not knowing what to do with his queen in distress, he opted to trace circles on her back to soothe her instead.

"I'm exhausted, my king. I don't think I can do this anymore, everything just seems wrong. Daniel is turning against me, the ministers think I am an incompetent fool and I do not know how to rule the kingdom. I'm tired of trying, love. I 'm tired of proving them all wrong," Amelia said as she was overwhelmed by her feelings one more time.

The king was speechless about what his wife revealed to him. Ian settled on comforting the queen who held onto him as if he was her life support. He was worried for his queen, and at the end of the day: the royal family must come first for the king, and then comes the royal court.

"Do you wish for me to go back to the palace?" Ian asked calmly, in a tone he seldom used.

"I can handle it, Your Majesty. Please disregard my words and continue on your designated task. I can find a way to set the balance in the palace and court again." Amelia bowed.

Pushing a stray lock of hair away from her face, the king gazed at his queen. He could have sworn she looked more sickly now compared to where he left the palace weeks ago.

"Then I shall return to the palace for a while. Your well-being is more important than the royal court. I can replace countless officials but there is only one queen that I cannot bear to lose."

"You flatter me, Your Majesty. But please stay where you are needed the most." Amelia said quietly.

"And that is by your side. How could you even risk yourself to go out in this rain and without guards when the nurses suspect that you are with child. How brash of you, love," Ian scolded and Amelia stifled a light laugh.

"How can you laugh when I am simply concerned about your well-being?" Ian asked offended. Amelia's cheeks reddened at the king's earlier statement.

"Your Majesty, we are not even sure yet," Amelia stammered. It was the king's turn to laugh this time.

"You glow when you smile more often. Put your worries to rest, I am here." King Ian said. Amelia stood up and bowed.

"I should be going, Your Majesty. I need to return to the palace." Amelia said but Ian grabbed her by the wrist.

"You are not going back at this hour, you even broke protocol of not having your guards with you at all times. Captain Holt might think you are a nuisance." Ian jokingly said.

"I do not! Hamilton does not even complain." The queen regent pouted.

The matter was soon forgotten as the king relieved the queen of her worries. It seemed to be like yesterday that Amelia was the one comforting him. If only he could go back but responsibilities hold him back. Even if family matters most at the end of the day, Ian could never deny the fact that he was a king and his kingdom depended on him.

* * *

It was the day after when Amelia came back to the palace escorted by Major General Kleister. Madison and Captain Holt waited by the palace's steps.

"Please do not run off like that, my lady. We were deeply worried. The search party was only halted when soldiers at the battlefront reported that you are with the king," Madison rambled as she took her place by the queen's side.

"Do not lecture the queen, Madison. Everyone gets their frustrated moments once in a while." Hamilton chuckled and turned to the queen regent, "It is nice to see you back, Your Majesty."

The queen scanned her surroundings as they went inside the palace. She noticed the lack of urgency as she knew today was a special day. Turning to Hamilton, she asked:

"I thought today was allotted for the preparation for the upcoming envoy from a neighboring empire?" Amelia asked.

"About that... the nobles ordered a strike towards the court ladies and other officials in support of your abdication. There are no preparations today, Your Majesty," Hamilton said.

The queen stopped in her tracks and held her head as she nursed a headache. She staggered back and momentarily lost her balance. If it wasn't for Hamilton having quick reflexes, the queen would have collapsed on the floor.

"Your Majesty-" Hamilton began.

"-I'm fine. What areas are affected due to the strike?" Amelia asked.

"My lady, you should not be going out in your condition. It is not the place for you to worry about this," Madison said as she supported her mistress by holding her back to keep her upright.

"All matters of the Palace worry me. You follow me to the kitchens, Madison. You secure the safety of the envoy and make sure everything goes well, Hamilton." Amelia ordered as the trio parted ways.

* * *

"What? Is the queen down in the kitchens cooking? Has she become that desperate?" Dowager Queen Isabel scoffed.

The dowager queen was having her morning tea with Lady Cara in her balcony. Irina Spasky, the chief lady-in-waiting of the dowager queen had gone up and informed the two women of what is happening while they indulged in their tea.

"It is seen to be that way, Your Majesty. " Lady Spasky said.

Isabel turned to her darling daughter-in-law who was also her goddaughter.

"Are you up for a show, Lady Cara? Shall we put the queen back to her place?" The dowager queen's smirk was also mirrored by the king's mistress.

"Certainly, Your Majesty. From the events of yesterday, the queen is quite shaken to her core. Father did a great job of ruffling her feathers a bit, lets see how long she could stay still."

The two royals made their way down to the kitchens. Knowing the dowager queen, Lady Cara knew that she would single-handedly humiliate the queen in front of the servants. It was a show indeed, a huge scandal will break out that the dowager queen has tension with the current queen regent. Going down to the palace kitchens seems disgraceful enough for Cara Pierce. But if it is to put the queen in her place, one should put considerations in it.

"Amelia Cahill, what are you doing?"

The queen regent and her servant stopped in her tracks. Lady Cara was enjoying how the queen cowered in the dowager queen's presence. The maids whispered as there were three ladies of the palace in the lowly kitchens.

"Good day, Your Highness," Amelia bowed.

Isabel did not acknowledge her greeting and only stared calculatingly at her. Her stare could drill holes and it was quite uncomfortable.

"Are you not going to greet Lady Cara, Amelia? Have you lost your sense of humility?" Isabel countered.

"It is nice to see you too, Lady Cara," Amelia said quite forcefully.

"You haven't answered me yet, Amelia. What are you doing?" The dowager queen asked with an icy tone of speech.

"Replying to Her Highness' question, there has been a strike that greatly affects the preparation for the envoy that would arrive later. I was left to do this all by myself with my lady ." Amelia humbly said.

"I was the one who organized the strike," Dowager Queen Isabel said.

The crowd upon them fell silent as the dowager queen revealed who was the mastermind of the strike. They did not expect the dowager queen would interfere with the politics of the inner palace. Though it was the queen who surely had all the power inside the inner palace, it was not often that the dowager queen to interfere with the matters of the royal household.

"Pardon?" Amelia asked.

"The news of your temper tantrums in the court reached to me and I am certainly appalled of your behavior in court. It is not befitting of someone your status. You are a queen and do not forget your etiquette. I organized the strike for the court ladies to realize how proper etiquette should be valued, and using you as an example."

It was no secret that Isabel humiliated the queen in public by calling her out. Whispers rang throughout the crowd as Amelia fell silent upon the dowager queen's words. But the queen regent remained docile as a lamb. She bit her lip as she was under Dowager Queen Isabel's scrutinizing stare. Amelia never had the chance to defend herself against the dowager queen.

A guard rushed in and bowed to the present monarchs. Amelia waited anxiously for the news he was about to bear. He gave the envelope to the queen regent and Amelia opened it.

"The Kromiyan envoy wishes to talk about the upcoming war, he wishes to settle the affairs between Berasienne and Kromiyan Empire. He is to be expected the day after tomorrow."


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: And I'm late, again... For those who are wondering if why I seem to be behind my usual schedule, I am preparing for the school season here in our country. School season took a 180-degree flip, and we struggled to adjust. Students have to learn at home in the opening of classes and that is something we barely practiced. It is not school season yet, it starts formally in 1-2 months but it is the requirements that make it a tad difficult. I am also considering homeschool, the online learning option is certainly not for me. Anyways, enough of the chit chat and let us go to the present chapter. As usual, this edited by hptriviachamp and is the best and understanding editor ever.**

Two days were not enough to prepare for the Kromiyan envoy's arrival. During those two days, the queen regent felt as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Every time she turned her back, Amelia could feel that her subordinates looking at her with a tarnished reputation. Somehow, people had dubbed her as 'the fallen queen' after Dowager Queen Isabel blatantly humiliated her in public.

If there was one thing she regretted, it was that she was docile as a lamb. Amelia only depended on her dearest ally to voice her opinions. The queen never spoke on her own accord, and she was very insecure about it.

"Your Majesty, the envoy is arriving soon. You should proceed down to welcome the envoy," Madison informed her, causing her silent contemplations to cease.

The queen made her way down to the palace. Before she could reach her destination, Lady Cara happened to cross paths with her. Bowing to the queen regent, Lady Cara looked straight into the queen's green eyes and said in a simpering tone, "Greetings Your Majesty, I hope you are in good health."

The queen regent was not daft to not realize the king's mistress' tone of poisoned sweetness. Playing along, the queen replied, "I hope you are also in good health, Lady Cara. My health is certainly off the balance but I can manage it. Running the kingdom is certainly a difficult task, but is lessened due to my uncle assisting me in state affairs. I appreciate your concern, Lady Cara," Amelia said in return.

"It must have been so hard for you, Your Majesty- running a kingdom all by yourself while you are expecting is such a tedious task. I would have stayed off my feet if I was in your position," Lady Cara smiled.

Amelia caught on the hidden meaning of the king's mistress' words but dare not confront her on it.

"I can certainly uphold my duties, Lady Cara. Though I appreciate your sincerity, I disagree with the fact that women can't even lift a finger when they are expecting. It is not like I am handicapped and unable to do my duties as queen regent," The queen countered.

"I suggest you be careful, Amelia. The nobles are not easy opponents, they could may harmless, but you don't know what they're capable of," Lady Cara said.

Amelia attempted to sweep past Lady Cara, but sensing that the queen was avoiding her, Cara boldly grabbed her by the arm.

"I am not finished," she said curtly and Amelia turned back to face her. Madison waited uncomfortably by her mistress' side.

"Who are you to grab me like this?" Amelia said sharply.

"I am just warning you, dear sister-wife. I am eyeing that necklace," Lady Cara said eyed sapphire necklace that was around the queen's neck. "What you are doing to Berasienne is destroying the nation. You may think you are helping, but you are dragging the high and mighty throne of Berasienne into the mud. But this is just a piece of friendly advice- I don't want to be wearing that necklace too soon." Lady Cara said as she swept past the irate queen regent.

"How dare she? A mere mistress dares to mock Her Majesty! She deserves to be punished, my lady!" Madison exclaimed but Amelia waved it off.

* * *

As she waited on the steps of the front of the palace, Amelia tried to swallow her pride. The memories of her captivity surged within her as the unmistakable carriage of the Kromiyan envoy came into the view with Captain Holt in front.

Amelia stepped forward but hesitated once she saw who went out of the carriage. It was a gruff-looking man, possibly in his late fifties. The envoy's eyes locked with hers, sending chills upon the queen regent's spine. Amelia maintained her composure and kept cool.

"How dare you present a slave in front of me?" The envoy furiously asked as he turned to Hamilton who shook his head. Captain Holt tried to argue but Amelia cut him off.

"The slave you are referring to is the queen of this nation. You are an outsider, and I suggest you pay your respects before you are branded an enemy of the Crown," Amelia said coldly as turned her steely gaze on the envoy.

The other people near the queen's proximity were aghast on how the sweet and virtuous queen's tone was full of hostility.

"Enemy of the Crown? I have come to speak in the name of peace and will do so. If you wish to drag your kingdom to death, you may do so."

Amelia was well aware of how the Kromiyan Empire negotiated, and could not deny that it was dirty.

"What do you want?" Amelia asked abruptly.

"Tsk tsk, impatient are we? You certainly haven't changed since the last time I saw you. You were just a foolish scullery maid who massaged the feet of her captor, and now you are dressed in jewels. The crowd may have bowed down to you and you may be clothed in the finest silks, it does not change the fact that you are nothing without the king," The envoy drawled.

Hamilton who was proximity held out his sword to the envoy's neck. Amelia was caught in the middle. Was she going to let Captain Holt slay him or be the merciful queen everyone has to look up to?

Amelia did not know what to do.

"Are you done antagonizing my wife?"

Amelia spun around and saw the king by the large double doors being led in by Madison. Madison stayed by the side and was shocked at how things played out. The king sat down beside his queen and entwined his hand with hers.

"A single cut and the Kromiyan Empire will drag you to war. You are a great military asset, Captain Holt. With your troops barely managing to win this war, will you drag their other feet to hell by slaying an enemy who has come for peace?"

Amelia inhaled sharply as she held her hand up to stop her guard. The captain half-heartedly retreated.

"You are asking what we want? The truth is, we have not come for peace," the envoy said as he schooled his features and looked at the queen. Amelia stood up enraged.

"How dare you-" she bellowed but abruptly stopped as her hands held her temple as she nursed a headache. She sank back in the chair as Madison, her lady-in-waiting rushed to the queen.

The startled Holt siblings surround the queen to assess the damage. Madison's shaky hands held the queen's pale hand. The king was frozen in his place as the events played out

"My lady, the nurses told you to be careful. When will you listen to them? You must take it easy," Madison babbled in panic as she tended to the queen. Mustering up her courage, she turned to the envoy. "How dare you aggravate my mistress when you are just a lowly envoy!" Madison spat.

"Madison Holt!" Hamilton warned and shook his head.

"Take the queen out, I will deal with this matter. Make sure she gets attended to by the nurses," King Ian ordered.

The Holt siblings supported the queen and prepared to escort her to the chambers. The docile queen agreed but before they reached the door, the envoy spoke:

"How about a bargain?"

Amelia stopped in her tracks and looked back. Looking straight into the enemy's gleaming eyes, she glanced back to her husband who was wary of the envoy himself.

"I heard that the queen is expecting. How about a trade? You hand over your first-born child, whether it is a prince or a princess. The Kromiyan Empire will take it in until its fifteenth birthday in exchange for the peace, and the empire will never bother you again."

Shocked, Amelia stayed frozen to the spot upon hearing the bargain of the scheming envoy. It was until Captain Holt restrained the queen from rushing at the envoy that Amelia reverted her gaze to her king.

"Your Majesty," Amelia began however he did not meet her eye.

"Take the queen out," he harshly ordered. Captain Holt hesitated for a moment and Madison also did not know what to do. "Did you not hear my order? I said take her out!" The king barked.

"Yes sir," Captain Holt said and gently escorted the queen who struggled to get out from his grip. Queen Amelia tried to break free from the Captain's strong grip by her arm but he was way stronger than her. By the time they were outside, Captain Holt released the queen from his tight grip, as he felt bad for her.

"My lady, I think you must return to your chambers. The king specifically ordered that you be attended to by the nurses," Madison pleaded but her pleas fell upon deaf ears as the queen continued to stare at the door of the king's study and did not acknowledge her pleas.

It seemed like hours until the double doors opened and the envoy stepped out. Amelia stood up abruptly and headed straight inside. The Holt siblings did not stop her this time.

"Why do I feel that this might end badly?" Madison asked her brother.

"You're not the only one," Hamilton said as he reverted his gaze to the closed doors.

When Amelia went inside the king's study, she noticed the change of atmosphere in the room. Scanning the large room, she spotted her husband sitting in his desk facing the window and was deep in thought. Lifting her heavy skirts to help her walk easily, the queen stood behind the king and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ian?" Amelia asked cautiously. The king stood up and gently tucked a loose strand of the queen's hair by her ear. Choosing to change the subject, the king half-heartedly smiled at her.

"I thought you were being tended to by the nurses. Do you still feel ill?" he asked quite worriedly.

The queen was able to see past the king's facade and how he tried to steer away from the issue. Choosing to get to the bottom of this, the queen tried to talk to the king about it.

"It was just a passing headache, Ian. I get that quite a lot. What about the envoy?" Amelia asked nervously.

"I did not agree to sign the treaty yet but I might be compelled to do so," the king admitted.

Amelia stared at him with wide eyes and mouth agape. Millions of questions ran across her head as she struggled to process what the king had admitted to her. The king guiltily looked away from her.

"How?" Amelia whispered and stared at him with teary eyes. Her heart broke as she reminisced her days held captive at the Kromiyan Empire. Her future child might follow her footsteps as well if the king agreed to sign the treaty. She will not hand over her child to them, never.

"I might have to. I do not wish for it to be this way, Amelia. But the kingdom must go first, and I do not wish to go to war. I do not want to see my men be slain in the battlefield," Ian said firmly, but Amelia was unfazed.

"The kingdom must go first? Do you hear yourself, Ian? How can you consider handing over your child to the enemy? You are not just a king, Ian," Amelia scoffed.

The king stared at her incredulously. It was unclear to him why Amelia was acting this way. He could feel her hostility towards the envoy but was unclear as to why.

"How can you trap your child in a treaty that was made before he was even born? How can you treat a human life so carelessly?" Amelia retorted.

"Why are you reacting like this is something new to you, Amelia? Children of the nobility have been used to pacify several issues long before our time. Heirs can be used at your own disposal," Ian replied with a clenched jaw.

"At your own disposal? Do you even hear yourself, Ian? Children are indispensable. How would you feel if you are the one that was to be handed off to the enemy?" Amelia shot furiously.

The king was done letting Amelia cloud his thoughts. Looking at her intently, he realized there was more than to this issue than what it seemed.

"Nothing would go wrong," Ian said nonchalantly.

"Everything can go wrong!" Amelia burst out and the king was surprised by her actions. Facing her husband with her terrified jade eyes, the vulnerable queen's tears fell from her furious eyes but managed to stand firm in front of him which shocked Ian himself.

"Do you think they will smother him or worship the ground he walks on? They will not do that, Ian. They will treat them as the enemy's offspring. They will not give the child a luxurious lifestyle unlike what they will have here. My only fault is that I am a mother who will speak up for a child, whether its mine or not. If you sign that treaty, forgive me Ian, but you will never see me ever again," Amelia said as she laid out her ultimatum. Lifting her skirts, the distressed queen spun around to leave but the king harshly grabbed her by the elbow. Amelia did not expect to face a furious Ian.

"Did you think I would let you get away with speaking so brashly at me?" He asked dangerously and Amelia quickly avoided his gaze. Pulling her dangerously close to him, Ian stared at her with skepticism. But Amelia was not as submissive as he expected her to be. She harshly pulled away from him and walked out.

* * *

Princess Natalia headed down to court after hearing the servant's gossip. The crowd bowed to the king's sister as she passed them. Heading straight to where her brother's study was, she was greeted by the Holt siblings.

"Is my brother in there?" Natalia asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. The king stopped by to speak with the envoy, he is currently speaking with Her Majesty at the moment," Hamilton replied.

"More like fighting with her," Madison grumbled.

"What are you talking about?" Natalia asked with a raised eyebrow. When Hamilton glared warningly at Madison, Natalia pressed on.

"What is this about my brother and Amelia? What is going on?" Natalia inquired.

The Holt siblings hesitated for a moment, and the voices coming from inside overtook them once more.

"If you would sign that treaty, forgive me Ian, but you will never see me ever again!" Amelia's voice rang out from inside the study.

"What was that? What is going on? Is it really this bad?" Natalia pestered the Holt siblings.

"It is bad, Your Highness," Madison said and continued, "the envoy asked for a bargain, Princess Natalia..." she trailed off.

"And? Why would Amelia threaten my brother that he would never see her again? I heard that Amelia might be bearing the crown prince, so it seems rather odd for her to threaten my brother." Natalia asked rather impatiently.

"The envoy asked that the firstborn of the king and queen will be handed off to the Kromiyan Empire in exchange for peace. Her Majesty was greatly upset and did not leave even if the king ordered her to, and now, they are arguing," Madison said rather grimly.

The three of them didn't have time to react when the doors suddenly burst open and they saw the queen step out. They noticed that she was quite upset.

"Your Majesty-" Hamilton began.

"Can it wait? I wish to be alone," Amelia snapped. Hamilton staggered back at her response and left her alone. For the second time in history, the queen walked out.

"Just leave her be. Now I need to have a word with my brother," Natalia excused herself and went inside the king's study.

"Should we send someone to follow on her?" Madison asked her brother.

"I'll watch over her. Let's just hope we don't need another search party like before," Hamilton said as he took his leave.

"Brother," Madison called and Hamilton spun around with a raised eyebrow. "Remember your boundaries, dear brother. They might think of your actions are motivated by something else. Please keep yourself at a distance," she warned.


	17. Chapter 17

**AN:** **And to the person who left a review earlier and used a guest account to criticize, i am not pleased. I am just a tenth grader and not an expert in writing, i do not have a degree in creative writing or whatsoever. If you don't like it, the door is always open, you can leave :) i am not forcing you to read it so if you don't like it, then don't read it. If you want to talk about something, pm me and i would appreciate that even more.**

 **This chapter seems to not be scattered this time, unlike the other one. I finally found time to write despite all those things that keep me busy. Once again this chapter is edited by hptriviachamp.**

 **minor details were edited as of 6/16/20.**

Natalia anxiously walked towards Ian and contemplated if she was doing the right thing. She whacked him on the head just like she used to when they were children.

"What was that for? How dare you hit your brother who is the king of this country?" Ian furiously shot and Natalia only rolled her eyes.

"You were my brother before you were crowned king. What did you tell my sister-in-law that made her run out of your study crying? Ian Kabra, you are impossible," Natalia scoffed.

"She was the one who screamed and threatened me. How can she be upset for a simple matter of handing over an heir for peace?" The king reasoned out and Natalia rolled her eyes.

"Did you not consider how she would feel? You may be king, dear brother, but you don't use your head. How are you certain that Amelia can carry your heir to full term? If she doesn't, Berasienne will still go to war," Natalia questioned and caught her brother off guard.

"She can," the king simply replied.

"You are mistaken. Women can die in childbirth, Ian. You are making it worse by signing a treaty that she doesn't agree with. How certain are you that she will survive childbirth?" Natalia asked. The king stared at his sister who did not realize her words.

"Are you somehow involved when Amelia was poisoned? Yes, it could have been you. No one has extensive knowledge of poisons besides me."

Guilt crept up on Natalia as she fell silent upon hearing her brother's words. Fiddling with her thumbs, Natalia never found the courage to answer her brother.

"If Amelia fails, how can you fill in the responsibilities of that treaty?" Natalia countered.

"I have Lady Cara," he simply said but Natalia just scoffed.

"Can you stop playing tricks with me, Ian? Everybody certainly knows you don't want to be with her. Mother even said that you escaped the night of consummation with her and spent it with Amelia," Natalia said, her voice raising.

"I am not playing favorites if that's what you mean. I need to sign this treaty for the empire not to bother us again. Do you think I am happy with this, Natalia? I am not," Ian admitted.

Silence engulfed the study room and Natalia did not find the words to counter her brother once more. The atmosphere changed inside the room as Natalia gently walked towards her brother and squeezed his hand.

"Whose side are you on?" Ian asked.

"Yours. I might be redeemed this way," Natalia stated and the king looked at her younger sister in disbelief.

"What happened to the little girl who would always obey her dear mummy?" he chuckled.

"I grew up," Natalia said seriously.

"You will always be my impish little sister," Ian teased.

"I am not!" Natalia whined and the king just laughed at his sister. She whacked him in the head for the second time.

"What is it this time?" Ian asked, annoyed.

"You should not be here laughing with me, dear brother. You have a queen to comfort," Natalia said. "I feel bad for Amelia, who has a husband who is so moody." she teased.

"I am not! How dare you insult me like that?" He asked pretending to be offended.

"Well, I am your impish little sister."

* * *

Captain Holt secretly trailed behind his mistress. He stood at a distance and watched the distressed queen. The queen sat on a swing set under the large oak tree that was in the middle of her garden. Dark clouds loomed over the sky mirroring the queen's damp spirits. He was at a proximity where he could see that tears streamed down the queen's face.

How could you be so delicate, Your Majesty? How could a pure angel like you continue to thrive in this twisted palace court? Hamilton thought.

Those words of the captain remained unsaid as he just stood in the distance. The queen had been put through enough already and Hamilton bore witness to all of that.

The captain had been so accustomed to watching over the queen, seeing her smile. In the dark eternity of the palace and the captain felt like the queen's presence was sunshine, that fell onto him.

It was not until he realized that his feet betrayed him to be near the queen's side. Behind the oak tree, the captain contemplated if should approach the queen or not. Fishing a white handkerchief in his pocket, the captain walked towards his mistress.

"Your Majesty," he approached.

The queen faced him with swollen eyes due to crying. The red rouge on her face was smeared in her fingers. Hamilton gave her a handkerchief that belonged to him.

The queen hesitated, however.

"Take it. You need it the most, Your Majesty," Hamilton urged and the queen reluctantly accepted it.

Was there another life waiting for them? In a world where she was his and he was hers?

"Did I not command you that I was to be left alone?" Amelia asked indifferently.

"I am following protocol, Your Majesty," Hamilton said as he sat down on the swing under the oak tree. The queen did not mind that he sat next to her.

"Are you alright, Your Majesty?" The concerned captain asked.

"I'm fine," Amelia sniffled as she used the borrowed handkerchief to wipe her tears. The captain, who had spent years in military training was not convinced.

"You say you're fine when you certainly are not. What has caused you to be upset like this, Your Majesty? You and His Majesty seemed to be in good terms." Hamilton pointed out.

"He chose to hand me over to the devil himself. Does he expect me to be okay if my child is handed over to the enemy? He had become my greatest horror and I regret awakening that monster in him," Amelia choked out a sob and the reluctant captain gently patted the queen's back. Her cry seems empty and forlorn. The captain treated her with the greatest of control that his brusque force could muster,.

Hamilton did not say anything as he boldly pulled her towards him and embraced the queen he served. Boundaries were broken, the captain could not hold himself back as the queen sobbed over his shoulder.

"You can punish this servant later for his impudence. I swore an oath to protect the person I will serve one day, even if it was of shield her from this kind of pain. From afar I wish you near, and with your every fall, I tremble in fear. "

In the distance, the captain saw the king. He made a treacherous move when he pulled the queen closer to him but she didn't seem to mind. Hamilton immediately saw a change in the king's expression for what he had witnessed.

"Why is looking out for you is such a painful thing to do? These feelings for you that I can't just throw away. Why can't I stop loving you?"

The captain let go of those words even if he knew the king was there. The king bore witness to his treacherous confession, for despite how he felt, that foolish love had to be, or vanish.

* * *

Madison sensed that something was wrong after her brother escorted the queen back. The queen was visited by her brother in the drawing-room. Hamilton appeared right beside her and they sat down for a cup of tea.

"Did something happen when you trailed behind Her Majesty?" Madison asked.

"Nothing," Hamilton said curtly.

"Then why does she flinch when you came in contact with her?" she wondered. Once Madison realized what happened, she turned to Hamilton. "You dolt! What have you've done this time?" Madison questioned angrily.

"I said and did something I shouldn't have," Hamilton confessed.

Madison sighed in resignation. Her brother may have been in deep trouble. If the king found out about it, there was a chance Hamilton could be stripped of his position or much worse, beheaded. She snapped out of her thoughts when they heard raised voices inside the queen's drawing-room.

"What is it that angered Her Majesty this time?" Hamilton asks as they rushed into the drawing-room.

"-So it was all an empty lie? To make it seem that you cared about me? And what did you do? You stabbed me in the back by joining the people who wish to get rid of me!" Amelia said rigidly.

"If you have known the pain I had to go through, you would know I had no choice," Daniel attempted to explain but Amelia paid him no mind.

"Should we butt in?" Madison whispered to her brother but he just shrugged.

"Your sister?" Amelia scoffed and looked at her brother with pain visible in her jade orbs. "I was your sister until you decided to betray me openly that day," she countered.

"Get him out of my sight!" Amelia commanded but Hamilton hesitated. "Did you not hear me? Get out!" she spat.

"I'll take care of Her Majesty, brother. Get him out before she blows up her rage further," Madison hurriedly said to her brother before returning to the queen's side and ushering her out of the room.

The two men were left in the drawing-room by themselves. Hamilton pitied the younger Cahill whose eyes were downcast to the ground silently.

"She doesn't mean it. You simply spoke to her at the wrong time," Hamilton said.

Daniel Cahill looked at him and the captain was met with the same jade orbs that the queen also possessed.

"Amelia says what she wants. I never saw her so upset and I certainly know she won't forgive me for betraying her," Daniel said sadly.

"She feels as if the world has come crashing upon her. Why does she fight with all the men in her life?"

"She gave that cobra a taste of temper? What did he do to make her mad?" Daniel asked.

"Underrated choice of a nickname," Hamilton remarked. "You might not want anyone to hear about that or else it will also be off with your head with you," he reminded Daniel.

"Were you telling the truth when you said Amelia did not mean it?" Daniel asks quietly.

"You have my word," Hamilton said, adding with a chuckle, "Now get out before she sees you again."

"Protect her," Daniel plead as he left.

"With my life," Hamilton replies in conviction.

And I mean that. I will serve her until my dying breath and will not abandon her when others have. I will make sure she stands high and proud in history, the captain thought.

* * *

The politics of Berasienne court was shrouded in lies, especially in the inner circle of the king's court. Minister Pierce had allies that made up the king's inner court, mainly the patriarchs of the Holt, Starling, and Wizard families.

"Do you think you can easily take Her Majesty down? The king will surely put up a fight to keep her safe. And that reminds me, Lord Holt's daughter and son seemed to be loyal to Her Majesty. Isn't it strange to see them alongside the enemy?" Lord Starling questioned.

Lord Holt remained silent.

"Continue what you are doing. The more that everything is turning against the Cahills, the better." Pierce said flatly.

"His Majesty cannot keep her untouched forever, and he made things worse by installing her as a queen regent. The position put her in the center of political power," Eisenhower Holt stated and others agreed to his word.

"How are you certain that Lady Cara will ascend to the throne? The royal family has been silent about the news of the queen but rumors slipped through the cracks that the queen is already with child," Broderick Wizard piped up, and the members looked at their silent member suddenly speaking up. It could also seem that Lord Wizard was challenging the authority of the prime minister.

"Learn to have faith in Lord Pierce- the queen is just a minor obstacle in the way yet you falter in your beliefs," Lord Starling scoffed "I would rather have you stay silent than babble incoherent ideas."

"Just continue with what you are doing and Cara shall take care of the matters of the inner palace. It is good that the dowager queen is siding with our cause." The prime minister said towards his inner circle.

After Minister Pierce spoke to his inner circle, his daughter awaited him in one of the drawing-room attached near the courtrooms. It was rather strange of her to be seen in the royal court rather than the palace.

"Father," she approached.

The minister checked if anyone is listening in their conversation. Finding the coast was clear, he nodded for her to continue.

"Is everything going according to plan?" Lady Cara asked.

"Our other allies have been working and I trust you have brought the information I asked you for?" Minister Pierce asked.

"It took me quite a while to find, Father. The persons involved around it seemed to be more on the queen's side. I heavily relied on what I heard from the dowager queen, but it will suffice," Lady Cara stated matter-of-factly.

"This better be good, Cara," the prime minister said.

"It turns out, the queen seems to be involved in a scandal- with her personal guard, no less."

Minister Pierce raised an eyebrow and scoffed.

"Her lapdog who is the captain of the royal guards, how pathetic," he drawls.

"It very well may be, as Captain Holt boldly confessed his love to the queen when the king was in proximity, Father. But this one was so big that the king himself swept it under the rug and kept quiet," Cara said as her father became more curious about what happened.

"Enlighten me," Pierce asked.

"The Queen..." Cara trailed off, "committed treason against His Majesty. It was such a grave issue that the king held a sword to that delicate Cahill neck. With that said, you can easily brand her as a traitor."

* * *

Ian contemplated if he should sign the treaty or not. He became hesitant after hearing Natalia's words who defended the queen's side. But the scene in the gardens felt like scalding water was dumped on him.

Just then. Captain Holt entered his rooms.

"You will join the troops starting tomorrow, Captain Holt. I expect you to report to me early in the morning," Ian said to the captain of the royal guards.

The king felt no need to respect the captain after what he had witnessed. The clueless captain raised an eyebrow and asked:

"Pardon?"

"Did you not hear me? I said you are to be transferred to the battlefront. It should have been this way before," the king replied nonchalantly.

The captain fell silent.

"I believe my primary duty is to keep the queen safe, Your Majesty. That is the reason I did not want to join the troops,"

King Ian sighed and faced the captain. Hamilton was surprised to see the king stared at him scrutinizingly. The king then asked:

"You protected her enough that you were willing to hide the fact that she committed treason. Wasn't the oath you swore upon states that you uphold the truth no matter what the cost?" he questioned. "You were willing to hide the fact about the painting. Do you think you can protect her, Captain Holt? It seems to me that you cannot."

"Did you not also do the same thing, Your Majesty? Then you would have beheaded her and the people will brand you as Ian the Bloody because you killed your wife?" the captain of the royal guards countered.

"How dare you!" the king asked outraged and scoffed in disbelief. "Hamilton Holt, who do you think you are?"

Hamilton was surprised when the king grabbed him by the collar in anger. He stood unmoved and did not react.

"Or is it something else?" Ian accused with a venomous tone. "Are you secretly lusting after someone you cannot have?"

The captain stared at him this time. matching the tone of the king he served, he spoke with venom in his voice.

"She is unfortunate to have you as her husband. How many times has she gotten hurt because of you? How many people have wanted to kill her the moment you decided to make her your queen instead of Cara? If you had not been stubborn, I wouldn't have betrayed you this way," Hamilton said coldly.

The king let him go harshly and pulled out a sword to the captain's neck. The king flashed back to a moment where he held a sword to Amelia's neck. Just like the queen, Captain Holt remained unmoving.

He was not a murderer like his mother. He was not a puppet like his father either.

"Your Majesty, Her Majesty the queen wishes to have a word with you." A servant walked in and Ian dropped the sword and it clattered to the ground.

"We'll talk about this later. I'm not done with you yet," Ian said icily.


End file.
